With snow came plenty of calls for service

By Dan Jennings

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 | midnight

Did Santa Cop mention in last week's blotter that it might snow in Boulder City — a la Bedford Falls in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Keep in mind that I submitted my column on Monday, a full two days before eight or more inches of the white stuff graced our presence and we enjoyed a surge in overnight visitors (and traffic) to our city.

For those of you who were mumbling under your breath as you brushed the wet stuff off your newspaper to read last week's Police Blotter, I am not entirely to blame.

In police work, it is considered a breach of etiquette to remark about a lull in police activity. An officer who makes such a statement — even after quickly acknowledging the "faux pas" with a quick retraction — incurs the playful wrath of fellow officers because of a flurry (pun intended) of incidents that predictably ensue.

I was enjoying a meal with a short-staffed Days I squad at Chiarelli's on Dec. 17. We had all just finished investigating a traffic accident. With the volume of snow increasing by the minute, I stated that our priorities for the rest of the afternoon would be speed deterrence and enforcement on the Truck Route and Nevada Highway.

Just as we finished our meal, someone requested a radio check expressing concern that his radio might be malfunctioning because of the absence of radio transmissions. We all held our breath as the offender quickly apologized and acknowledged that we were now probably "jinxed."

The lull ended five minutes later when the Highway Patrol requested that we block southbound U.S. 95 because of a jack-knifed tractor-trailer. The snow was now blanketing the city, especially the highways.

The calls for service were endless, and the inbound and outbound traffic presented herculean challenges. A small stretch of highway between the Railroad Pass and the U.S. 95 southbound off-ramp was covered in ice and blocked by tractor-trailers three abreast.

However, the next 12 hours saw Boulder City at its best. Employees and citizens alike came together to ensure that this weather anomaly didn't dampen the Christmas spirit. After all, we did have a white Christmas — it merely arrived a week early.

December 11 — Domestic

Disturbance

Officers from the Graves II squad (Ford, Olson and Case) respond to a domestic disturbance at a residence. A 15-year-old got into an argument with her mother and left the residence to cool off. There was no battery, but a police report was completed.

December 12 — Wanted Person

Traffic Officer Nutzman stops a vehicle for speeding near mile marker 40 on U.S. 95. He learns that the woman passenger is wanted for a felony by the Kingman, Ariz., Police Department. She complains of abdominal pains, so Officer Nutzman summons the paramedics. They take her to the hospital where she is examined and then released into custody.

December 13 — Drunken Driver

Minutes after midnight, Officer Wilkin stops a vehicle on Foothill Drive after someone reports that the motorist is driving erratically. After a field investigation, Officer Wilkin arrests the driver for driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver's blood alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit. Needless to say, this dangerous driver will not be getting that new toy he asked Santa Claus for earlier.

December 14 — Assist a Citizen

Sergeant Glenn, Dispatcher Sandoval, and Officers Tomao and Salazar (Graves I squad) attempt to locate a woman who had driven into an unknown area of the desert with her 8-month-old baby. Fortunately, it was early in the evening (7 p.m.) and the officers determined that the motorist had driven from North Las Vegas to Boulder City, took a right onto Buchanan Boulevard and continued driving south. After the pavement ended, she continued driving in the desert for at least an hour until she got stuck. Her cell phone provider "pinged" her cell phone and obtained the latitude and longitude coordinates of her location. The Search and Rescue Unit of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department responded with a helicopter and rescued mother and child. Perhaps Santa will bring her a GPS and a dose of common sense.

December 15 — Suspicious Vehicle / Petit Larceny

Officers respond to the area of Gingerwood after a citizen reported that three people abandoned a SUV in the parking lot and fled on foot. Officers Grasso and Ham subsequently contact two of the suspects. Traffic Officer Cazett and Officer Henke recover property stolen from a local business minutes earlier. Excellent police work by all officers.

From Dec. 11 through 17, there were 506 calls for service, including 128 vehicle stops. Officers arrested four adults and one juvenile, issued 60 citations, and completed 38 incident reports.

Boulder City Police Sgt. Dan Jennings can be reached at [email protected].