1st Week Solo

My first week of riding solo is over. After one more week I'll be assigned to a new squad/shift. I have no idea what shift I'll end up with but it will most likely be 8pm to 6am with three weekdays off. Not ideal but us rookies have to start at the bottom.

The week was great. Each day on my way to work my heartbeat quickened with anxiety. At first the anxiety was due to nervousness but has changed into anticipation to hit the streets. I can't describe the feeling of power and responsibilty that arises when I step into the police cruiser and start patrolling the city. I can't wait to get to work each night to see what I'll come across next. There are so many interesting, creepy, wierd, and terrifying thing happening out there.
Plus, have you ever wished you could do something about a lame-ass driver running a red light, speeding, not putting their kids in seatbelts, or doing any number of other idiotic things? Well, now I can do something. It's so rewarding to 'light up' a driver who thinks the rules don't apply to them and issue thousands of dollars in citations; impound their vehicle; or even arrest them for outstanding warrants or DUI. It's especially rewarding to pull over an arrogant driver who thinks he/she can get out of the ticket by acting cute or questioning the validity of the traffic stop.
Just last night I pulled over a woman driving with Texas license plates that expired in August, 2005. Many of these 'out of staters' that move to AZ think they don't have to register in Arizona and we'll never know the out of state license plate is bad. Well, they're wrong. I wrote her a ticket and brought it to her for a signature. The following conversation then took place:
(me): I'm issuing you a citation for expired out of state registration
(male passenger): Officer, can you tell me exactly what you pulled us over for?
(me): Expired out of state registration.

He thought there needed to be some kind of improper driving for me to make the traffic stop when the only thing I needed was to run the plate and confirm it was expired (we can check all states).

Other items of notes:
-I was on my way to call where a new homeowner was landscaping his yard and unearthed human bones. (they turned out to be cow bones)

-I was told by a family to arrest their 15 year old son because he refused to get back in the family car after eating dinner at a restaurant. (nice try)

-I helped arrest 2 prostitutes with warrants. In one's purse was Viagara, condoms, classified ads for an escort, $500 cash, and a hand-written note that read 'planned parenthood -Thursday 2pm, $290 + $50. (I wonder what that was for)

-I transported a drunk 14 year old kid home after finding him on the sidewalk puking. He paid a bum to buy him a bottle of Southern Comfort. At home his 15 year old brother asked me, "Officer, do I have permission to beat his ass?" (I wish I could have said yes)

-A citizen outside a convenience store approached me and asked if it was illegal to call a black person a nig***. (I told him it was not illegal but advised against trying it)

-I responded to burglary alarm and peeked into a house to see a man in his underwear, standing on a scale, flexing his muscles in the mirror. (he was the homeowner, and well-built I must say)

That's it for now. Now I'm enjoying one of my last three day weekends off (my new shift will probably be Tue-Wed-Thu off).