Night Watchman

Cops are a weird bunch. Who else has to wear body armor to work everyday in anticipation of being shot at? Or exposes themself to the dirtiest, foulest, and most disturbing situations and environments?

How do I know we're weird? Take this guy in my precinct. He works the overnight shift and doesn't leave the parking lot until a life-sized plastic owl is secured atop the roof of his truck. This is the kind of menacing fake owl people use to keep pigeons away. I've never seen any birds in our parking lot at night and wondered what he's trying to keep his truck safe from.














I Googled the Great Horned Owl to learn more about its prey and found the following possibilities:
An extremely wide range of prey species (at least 253 identified) are captured, but rabbits and hares are its preferred prey. Mammalian prey includes all coexisting rodents, squirrels, mink, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, porcupines, domestic cats and dogs, shrews, moles, muskrats, and bats. Bird prey includes all other Owls (except Snowy Owl), grouse, woodpeckers, crows, turkeys, pigeons, Red-tailed Hawks, bitterns, Great Blue Heron, ducks, swans, gulls, etc. Reptiles include snakes, turtles, lizards, and young alligators. Amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders. Other foods include fish, large insects, scorpions, centipedes, crayfish, worms, and spiders.

Now I understand. It must be a great relief knowing you can return to your car without being ambushed by a lurking duck, salamander, or armadillo. Also, how many times have you approached your parked vehicle only to find a domestic dog standing on the hood or a young alligator stretched out on the roof? But what I find most interesting is this owl eats other owls. Is this officer trying to scare away real owls? Is so, this plan could drastically backfire as a real Great Horned Owl may see this plastic fellow and swoop down for a kill of its own.