October, 2009
Two for the Road USA
By: Cathy Droz
Questions by Bill Z.
I sit on the board of directors for Silent Witness, a non- profit organization that raises funds to financially reward those responsible citizens who report crimes leading to arrests. The monies come from private donations and fund raising, not from the city government’s budget.
While rewards for information are offered, many are never collected. This is due to the civic responsibility of the citizens who are just looking to help and make a difference.
Originally from New York, I have many retired friends from the New York City Police and Fire Departments. I have always admired the work and sacrifice of these organizations, especially after 9/11, where one of those friends was affected by the loss of several of his colleagues. Since then I have wanted to communicate to the masses what our fire and police departments do to keep our communities safe, and to reinforce a sense of respect for these courageous individuals. I felt the more educated I was with what they do, how they do it, as well as the individuals themselves, the more effectively I could get the word out thru the media and word of mouth.
Being a member of The Board of Silent Witness has exposed me to the police force in many forms. I have been given insight as to why these men and women chose such a dangerous and
demanding profession. The common thread I have found is they want to help other people in crisis, comforting the families of the victims and getting the bad guys off the street. As a whole, I have found the force to be compassionate, caring, dedicated and hard working.
So far, the six week Citizens Police Academy (designed to give key members of the community a first-hand look at our police at work) has been informative and eye opening. It has also been educational in learning how many departments are involved in handling everything from traffic tickets to human smuggling.
I am currently entering week four of a six week program, which includes the following topics:
Dynamics of Deadly Force Encounters
Officer involved shooting
Ethics
Gangs
Homeland Defense
S.W.A.T.
Communications 911
Vice
K-9
Crime Lab /CSI
Community based policing
Amber Alert/Missing Persons
Air Support
DUI
Motorists Assist
Firearms Unit/Range/Arrest Tactics and
a full shift ride along in a precinct unit
I leave class each week without knowing any police secrets or how to get out of a traffic ticket, but I do know that the Phoenix PD, as well as other law enforcement departments in Arizona, possesses state of the art equipment and technology to keep us safe. With potential budget cuts being considered, this is not an area we want to cut back on. While Hollywood glamorizes some police departments, such as CSI (CSI Miami), the bottom line is that these men and women risk their lives everyday for our community.
When Two for the Road co-host Bill Z. asked Cathy on the radio about her academy classes, here is what she had to say:
What surprised you the most? The number of educated, attractive, strong, caring, high ranking women that serve in all forms of law enforcement.
Myths? I’ve not seen one donut at headquarters or in a patrol car
Which session so far has been an eye opener? Amber Alert/Missing Persons
If you could turn back time, would you ever consider being a police officer or firefighter? No, I am not that brave. I could work in the office of headquarters or Public Relations but that is it.
What do you hope to accomplish by taking this course? Communicating to others what I have learned, with the hope that they pass it along to their friends and families. To instill respect for the police, helping your neighbors and being observant at all times; “if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”
Wildest Goal? We start thanking the police, fire and Sheriff’s officers the way we thank the men in the armed forces in an airport. Yes they are paid to do their job, but you couldn’t pay me enough.
Worst Part of the Course: The photos of violent crimes against other human beings and exploited children.
For more about the Citizen Police Academy go to
www.phoenix.gov/police/citaca1.html
There were beautiful cars, motorcycles and vendors ranging from kettle corn to camshafts. The Rawhide venue was the perfect setting for the nostalgic cars and dressed up motorcycles. The new management team was out and about meeting and greeting and making sure everyone was happy.
I was there representing Silent Witness with Cindy Kjos and Neal Sheiner, Bill Z. was at the LA Auto show and unable to attend. He would have gone crazy taking photos for his Cool Car Corner site; for each vehicle was prettier than the next
began at their facility in Scottsdale. They offered Two for the Road a pristine 65 MGB from their collection so we jumped at the chance so Cathy and I along with about 50 other couples in some of the most beautiful cars on the planet took advantage of a beautiful sunny Arizona afternoon and cruised the streets of Phoenix giving the public a rolling car show. There will be more to follow soon including some video we shot of some really fantastic cars on the road
We were on hand when Lincoln and Sanderson Lincoln/Mercury introduced the all-new Lincoln MKT along with MKS with EcoBoost and Lincoln MKZ by allowing the press and the public to test drive the new cars. It was one of the biggest one-night events ever put on by Lincoln with over 1,200 dealers across the country participating.
The MKT is Lincoln’s entry in the mid-size CUV market was a big success with people showing a lot of interest in it. The event allowed people to get an up close look at the vehicles and experience some very cool technical innovations like the Active Park Assist and the latest SYNC with new turn-by-turn voice activated driving directions.
certification as a "Female Friendly Tire Retailer." Community Tire is a 2007 Tire Review Top Shop Award finalist, and was the first North American tire dealer to complete the AskPatty.com training and certification program. Read more about it at TireReview.com. You can also learn about how Community Tire is creating a healthier business environment in anticipation of the upcoming Swine Flu season. Find out more about the H1N1 virus, and how you can stay healthy this fall by watching this video at YouTube.
your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain....It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around.After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
While rewards for information are offered, many are never collected. This is due to the civic responsibility of the citizens who are just looking to help and make a difference.
demanding profession. The common thread I have found is they want to help other people in crisis, comforting the families of the victims and getting the bad guys off the street. As a whole, I have found the force to be compassionate, caring, dedicated and hard working.
