Med Trips

[amhrinda]

So the other day I was on overtime as an Escort Officer, which isn't bad, since it gets you out and about and it generally isn't bad overtime.

At the same time, it is always stressful, since you are out of the prison with an inmate, escorting him around in close proximity to the general public.
The only thing we can control is properly restraining him.

The other officer and I got tasked with picking the inmate up from the hospital, since he was being released, thereby relieving the Officers that were watching him.

We picked him up, and drove him back to the institution without incident.
After he got processed in, we came to find out that someone in his unit had called said inmate's family and let them know he was at the hospital.

Bad juju there.

The phoneman is now in SHU, and the Captain, in no uncertain terms, let the hospital inmate know that things like this will never happen again.

The thing that bugged me about the situation is that I went into it with no word that his family knew.
The weakest point in the corrections chain is there. When we have an inmate outside with armed officers, that's where the real risk to the public is. And when the trip is compromised after the fact, our hands are kind of tied.

Maybe it's because of my history in intel, but I like knowing the intel we have before I go into a situation. There are already enough factors that we can't control, without adding to it like this.

Just my .02

[BeerBudget]

No doubt. I hate hospital runs. Sounds like you go in pairs though. Typically we are flying solo, and I really hate that.
Glad there was no incident with the transport or the hospital stay.

[amhrinda]

Flying solo is one thing we thankfully don't ever do.

SOP is basically one more officer than inmates for pretty much everything.
And travelling is one of those places it is non-negotiable.

The thing that bugged me was getting word after the fact.

[BeerBudget]

Funny, I made that response to your post and 10 minutes later ... we had one go to the hospital!

[amhrinda]

Funny, I made that response to your post and 10 minutes later ... we had one go to the hospital!

Nice! My other hospital overtime got cancelled, since he came back.

[Cat_Doc]

Yep, the most dangerous time with inmates is when they are out of the institution at court or a medical run. I worked in the Criminal Investigations Unit for AZDOC for about three years after I retired from the city and moving a high risk (high score inmates; death row, STG's, escape risks, high profile) during Code Red runs was fairly intense. (I know, Code Red sounds dorky, but that’s what they called it.) I won't get into the tactics here, but little things like a sudden traffic back-up on the interstate causes major pucker power, and your head better be on the pivot if you want to go home.

I really enjoyed working CIU but couldn't stand the administration (non-cops trying to tell seasoned cops how to do their job) so got back in the saddle with the SO. I kind of miss it on occasion. One thing for sure; when working in that environment... you are alive and on your toes. You never know if a geeky porter has been ordered to hit someone. On your toes, all the time. You guys working the walls be damn careful, you hear?

ps Sorry for jumping in your thread.

[amhrinda]

It's cool. All my threads are welcome to be jumped into.

The only thing I have to compare running these guys to is when I would make the runs from Bagram to Kabul.
When you get back your neck is tired from watching EVERYTHING and you are on edge.

But then again, in these lines of work, you just never know.
Best to just be prepared for whatever, and run with it, and figure it out
in the hotwash.

[Cat_Doc]

The only thing I have to compare running these guys to is when I would make the runs from Bagram to Kabul.
When you get back your neck is tired from watching EVERYTHING and you are on edge.

While I haven't been in military combat, I can imagine the same intensity.

I have been in shootings, but that always happened pretty damn quick.

The transport of high risk boys gave you time to think about it.

Four of us, two each unmarked units, were assisting the uniformed transportation guys with moving a high ranking STG from the New EME to a hospital for tests.
The local P.D. had been contacted and agreed to provide perimeter security, but failed to meet in the parking lot at the designated time. We decided we were sitting ducks stationary in the parking lot, so started moving him from the unmarked van to rapidly get him inside in a more controlled environment, without the assistance of the P.D.

He was belly-chained and short shackled, so we couldn't walk him too fast and once out of the van, this guy in orange being surrounded by armed personnel was drawing all sorts of attention from people in the area. GD! We wanted to pick him up and hustle him inside; it seemed to be going so slow.

All of a sudden we hear the sounds of an accelerating vehicle approaching our direction with squealing tires as it turned off the main drag into the parking lot. Heart rate up, hyper vigilance, guys screaming instructions and weapons drawn before we realized it was someone rushing to the emergency room.

That one was hashed over several times, over several beers (after work); and different tactics were adopted.
I really did enjoy that stage of my career, but I would have had an ulcer if I stayed. (Not because of the job, but because of the admin.) :(

[amhrinda]

Wow.
None of my trips have been that bad. (Here's to hoping)

I never received fire during any of those runs. (got rocketed plenty at Bagram though)
Traded paint in Kabul a few times. (No stoplights in the entire damn dusty country, and we don't stop either)

But every time a vehicle would get anywhere near us, the pucker
factor was pegged.
And when you are in downtown, there was no way around it.

It always made us feel better when you would catch a glimpse of the birds watching our route.

I will always love Apaches.


edit: I will always remember standing watch on our burn barrel, having a smoke when we started getting rocketed. The contractor that was out there with me looks up, and she goes: "Neat, they have fireworks."