This week I had the opportunity to ride along with a Statesville Police officer as he patrolled the streets.  I can describe it with one word:  Awesome!  But, of course I won't stop with just one word. 

Beforehand, I wasn't sure what to expect, and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it at all.  I mean, we would just be riding through the streets in the dark.  Maybe we would see someone run a stop sign or a red light.  How exciting could it really be?  I found out that it can be "very" exciting. 

While we experienced one very intense ordeal, even the stop sign runners were exciting.  When I'm driving my own pickup, I don't give a second thought when I see someone not come to a complete stop at an intersection.  But, when you're in a high-performance police car with a computer linked to the DMV and a confusing panel of buttons and lights on the console, it's an entirely different story. 

I was riding along with a very nice officer who patiently answered one stupid question after another as I tried to understand what was going on.  However, when we were in hot pursuit I made a point of being quiet and letting him concentrate on his job.  In the heat of the moment, he's flying down the street, reading a license plate, typing on his laptop, and communicating with dispatch, all while trying to remain safe for us and others on the street.

I've always respected an officer's bravery to approach an unknown driver who has or is suspected of committing a violation.  But, being in the car and watching the situation unfold in real time gave me an added appreciation for what these people do every day.  I spent four hours on patrol, and if I hadn't had to go to work the next morning, I would have spent all night.  Now, in the days after my ride, I find myself extra aware of cars with a burned out brake light or a driver who runs a red light.  I guess the experience hasn't ended yet.

It was a lot of fun, and at one point, sort of scary.  I won't go into the details, but it did involve the K9 unit and several officers.  Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to do it again soon.  In the meantime, drive safe, and if you do get pulled over, be nice to the officer.  He's out there doing his job to make the town safer for all of us.