: Jim Hogan
: Real Life on the Streets
: BookBaby
: 9781667864716
: 1
: CHF 10.50
:
: Biographien, Autobiographien
: English
: 552
: kein Kopierschutz
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
This book consists of a series of anecdotal experiences of a police officer in a small, but growing, police department in the suburban Denver area.  Although set in the 1960's and 70's, it is easily translatable to today's law enforcement experience.  It's aim is to bring a better understanding to the general public of the realities of police work on a daily basis, as well as to describe the kinds of incidents to which those who are, or were, in law enforcement can easily relate.  It is at times comical, at times tragic, and at times heart warming. The author does not attempt to sugar coat the language used or the prevailing attitudes of the times described.  With no hint of 'preaching', the book provides an eloquent look at the camaraderie and sense of family which was common in the law enforcement community at that time and which continues to this day.

Real Life on the Streets

Chapter Six

The Draught House Fiasco

 

 

The City of Thornton had just annexed four square blocks of unincorporated Adams County that was under the jurisdiction of the Adams County Sheriff s Department. This area took in 86th Avenue on the south, 88th Avenue on the north, Washington Avenue on the west and Corona to the east. In this area was a free-standing liquor store, a free-standing Tastee Freeze, a free-standing 7-11 and a little shopping center consisting of a dry cleaners, a bar called the Ghetto, a gun shop, a couple of small businesses, Shutto s Thrift Way, a small grocery store. Connected to the north wall of Shutto s was a Winchell s Donut shop! I guess the City of Thornton figured that the employees of the Thornton Water Department, the police, and fire departments spent so much money there they may as well annex it and get some of that tax revenue.

In the same plot of land was a place call the Draught House. It was a nightclub for the 18 to 21-year-olds to party. Until 1987, Colorado law allowed people 18 to 21 years of age to consume 3.2 percent beer. People over the age of 21 could drink everything else.

The Draught House started out as the Imperial Bowling Lanes, probably in the late 50s, then was gutted and turned into a nightclub. I think it would suffice to say; this place was enormous. It had a huge bandstand, well-kept dance floor, two bars one at the north end and the other at the south end. There was seating all over the place. I believe the capacity was nine hundred and something.

There were many times the Adams County deputies would call Thornton for backup when fights broke out.

On this historic night, a Friday, it was the beginning of our annexation, and they had a band called Funky Town, scheduled to play. At our 2300 briefing, Sergeant Werner Horst advised the on-coming officers that the Draught House parking lot was already filled, and Winchell s was complaining about people parking in front of their store and walking to the Draught House, about a hundred feet to the east. The Sergeant for the night was Bob Wells. Bob was a seventeen-year veteran of the Denver Police Department and then was chief of a small town south and west of Thornton, called Sheridan for a short time before coming to Thornton.

There were four officers plus Sergeant Wells scheduled for that night. Officer Sidell and I were assigned to work the Scout Car. The Scout Car was a Chevrolet van with two bucket seats in the front and a steel divider separating us from them. A five-foot-long steel bench was behind the driver s seat, which would hold about four people, then another seat angled to the left that would hold about another three butts, thus seati