Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 | midnight
Dan Jennings
While some television commercials amuse me, such as the errant anthropologist stalking a talking gecko, other ads have the opposite effect. A melodramatic commercial for a home alarm system depicts a burly bandit who, under the cover of darkness, forcibly enters a home occupied by a fearful mother and her teenage daughter. The piercing alarm is activated and the would-be evil-doer makes a hasty retreat down a well-lit neighborhood street.
The visibly shaken mother, instead of reaching for a baseball bat, or other weapon of deterrence such as a firearm, or quickly taking her child to a secure room or out the back door, stops to answers the ringing phone. A professional face and voice on the other end reassure the mother that the police are on the way.
The commercial ends on a happy note because the alarm system caused the bad man to go away, summoned the police and restored the household to happier times. The only prop missing from this tragic attempt to sell fear is a bandit mask for the perpetrator.
The alarm company would like for you to believe that burglaries of this type occur frequently. What the alarm companies don't want you to know is that the overwhelming majority of residential burglaries occur during daylight when no one is home. Burglars are not interested in attracting attention or having their crimes quickly discovered.
Furthermore, 99 percent of all burglary alarms are false alarms. Nationwide, the situation has deteriorated to the point where large police departments will not respond to an alarm unless the resident or a representative from the alarm company confirms a crime occurred and the suspects are present.
In Boulder City, the police respond within minutes to all alarms. However, the alarm company usually has the home phone number as the only point of contact.
If you have an alarm system or plan to obtain one in the future, the best thing that you can do to help us is to provide the alarm company with work phone numbers, cell phone numbers and the number of a trusted friend who can respond with a key. After all, you are the customer, and the alarm company should do more than just collect monthly payments to call the police.
December 25 — DUI-Alcohol
Officer Nutzman stops a speeding vehicle on U.S. 95 at 10 a.m. He makes an arrest after an investigation determines that the 37-year-old driver is under the influence of alcohol.
December 26 — Obstructing an Officer
Officers from the Days II squad (Sgt. Griffin and officers Sandin, Krumm and Johnson) respond to an active disturbance at a residence on Rainier Court at 11:30 a.m. A 41-year-old man is arrested for obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
December 27 — Public Drunkenness
The Graves II squad (Ford, Olson, Wilkin and Case) responds to a disturbance at a local bar at 8:30 p.m. involving a 49-year-old woman punching herself. Officer Ford subsequently arrests the woman for public drunkenness.
December 28 — Motor Vehicle Theft (Unfounded)
Officer Richner responds to a residence on Avenue G after someone reported that his car had been stolen during the previous evening. Officers located the vehicle in the parking lot of a local business. The person reporting then remembered that he had picked up his spouse at work the previous day.
December 29 — Alcohol and Drug Offenses
Officers from the Graves I squad (Tomao, Perkins, Isham and Ashby) respond to a disturbance at 2:30 a.m. outside of a residence on Hopi Place. Several subjects are cited for drug and alcohol offenses. Juveniles are released to their parents after being cited.
December 30 — Drunken Driver
A citizen reports an erratic driver at 2:30 a.m. inbound to Boulder City on U.S. 93 from Henderson. Officer Perkins stops the vehicle on Nevada Way and after a field investigation, arrests the driver for driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver's two large mastiffs are impounded for safekeeping at the Boulder City Animal Shelter.
December 31 — Drug Offenses
Officer Healing stops a traffic violator on Nevada Highway at 7:30 a.m. and detects the odor of burning marijuana. A drug recognition expert, officer Healing conducts a field investigation and subsequently cites the passenger for unlawful possession of marijuana and cites the driver for speeding.
Weekly Statistics
Incident Reports — 43
Traffic Stops — 286
Citations Issued — 234
Adult Arrests — 29
Juvenile Arrests — 0
Animal Control Calls — 76
Boulder City Police Sgt. Dan Jennings can be reached at [email protected].
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy