Beyond Hope? Michael S. East

December 26, 2009

The Impetus for “Beyond Hope?

Filed under: Book signings — admin @ 2:53 pm

I suppose we all strive for success, at one level or another, on whatever stage in life we choose to perform. As I sat nestled snugly between the work boots section and the front counter of The Workwear Store during a recent book signing, I had plenty of time to ponder my writing career. Nothing screams success like selling one book during a two-hour-long book signing, eh? Thank God I didn’t get into this gig to get rich (The book I did sell, by the way, went to a store employee who purchased it at a deep employee discount . . . I think she took pity on me). Truth be told, book signings are not all that great of a place to sell books, unless you’re a famous author. The Workwear Store is just what it sounds like - a store located on Saginaw’s west side that specializes in work clothes and other work-related and sports team-related clothing. However, since The Workwear Store carries a broad range of police-related items and does a lot of business with the Saginaw Police Department, and since they have religiously stocked Beyond Hope? and have sold out of five orders, I agreed to come in for a Thursday afternoon book signing because my book has sold so well at this store. It seems, however, that people only want to buy my book - they do not wish to converse with the book’s author. Fair enough. No hard feelings. I escaped the premesis shortly after 1 p.m. with the aid of a close friend and sauntered off to the local Hooters for wings and beer (My friend and I were able to eat in peace - nobody recognized me at Hooters either).

Anyway, a couple months ago I decided I would use this blog space to go back and dissect Beyond Hope? for anyone who might be interested in further insight into the writing of this book, as well as its contents. Since I plan on launching a Facebook Fan Page for Beyond Hope? shortly, I thought now would be a great time to begin the dissection process.

After publishing my first book, Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop, in 2003, I learned quickly that being an author was a lot tougher gig than it seemed. I wrote Burden as a means to convey to younger police officers and prospective police officers what life on the streets of urban America is really like. The realization had hit me that when I became a cop, I had no idea what becomming a cop really meant. What better way to prepare others for this line of work than to write a diary style book, detailing a year on the streets. I wrote my book, sat back and waited for the cash to roll in.

My first hint that there was trouble in paradise came when I tried to market Burden to police academies, colleges and universities around the state of Michigan. Most institutions wouldn’t even return my correspondances. However, those who did had one clear message - “This book is too dark, too depressing (too real?) and we don’t want to scare off any prospective cops.” In other words, if you let these police recruits and college students know what they’re getting into ahead of time, you might deter them from becomming actual money spending police recruits and college students, seeking employment in the field of law enforcement.

It was a learning experience for me that telling the truth about police work actually worked against me when trying to sell books. I did manage to do a few academy appearances and Burden did get picked up by at least two east coast universities several years after its publication, so I guess I’m happy for that. I read about a year ago that the average sales numbers for self-published books is somewhere around 120 sales per book over the lifetime of the book. Considering Burden has sold about 1,300 copies to date, I guess I can consider it above average for a self-published book. But, I think the greatest measure of success for Burden came after a speaking engagement at the Northeastern Police Academy at Delta College, located about 10-15 miles from the City of Saginaw in Bay County. One day, after an academy presentation, the academy coordinator called to let me know an older recruit (and by older, I mean mid- to late-30s) had listened intently to my presentation and promptly quit the academy at day’s end, saying I helped him realize this was not the type of work he should be doing. That response - helping an wavering police recruit decide a better life’s course, and saving a community from the time, expense and problems of hiring a cop who really doesn’t want to be a cop - is the reason why Burden was written.

While Burden had some small successes like the one I listed, the biggest knock on the book - and I agree with this - is that reading Burden can be much like the job iteself - is can become overwhelmingly boring and tedious, but is punctuated with pages (moments?) of intense action and drama. Good for honesty. Good for truthfulness. Bad for book sales.

A gift from my father-in-law proved to be the springboard I needed to get back into book writing. When I opened the wrapping paper and saw the book A Cop’s Life (Written by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department then-Sergeant Randy Sutton) staring me in the face, my immediate thought was: God, I hate reading cop books! But eventually I turned to page one - and didn’t quit until I was finished. Sutton was able to weave together real life personal and on-the-job cop experiences into one helluva good read. I knew right then this would be the format for my next book. One thing that Burden lacked was the deep emotional insight that is such a huge part of police work, and of life in general.

I was so moved with A Cop’s Life that I shot off an e-mail to Randy Sutton to let him know how his writing affected me. Unexpectedly, Randy wrote back a couple days later and thanked me for the comments. We have talked often since as he has guided me through the writing process and even read and edited some of Beyond Hope? As the final product was ready to go to press, Randy even agreed to provide an endorsement for the book, which is proudly displayed just inside the front cover (along with the endorsement of writer/professor/former cop Peter Moskos, who penned another good book, titled Cop in the Hood).

Once I decided on the format for Beyond Hope? the stories just flowed. There was a huge release of emotion as I hacked through chapter after chapter of my personal and on-the-job experiences. Some days I couldn’t wait to get home from work and start another chapter. For a writer (at least for me) the feeling of “I can’t wait to writem more” is huge. When you feel that way, you know you’re writing about something that is passionate to you. A good friend of mine, actor Jack Moore (Independance Day, Godzilla, The Patriot, and numerous other movies) once told me: “Mike, write what you know.” Well, after nearly 16 years patrolling the streets of Saginaw, Michigan, I know death, I know violence, I know despair, I know hatred, disillusion, apathy, fear, frustration, mistrust and an array of other emotions. But, thank God, I also know hope. These are the things that fill the pages of Beyond Hope? One Cop’s Fight for Survival in a Dying City.

Beyond Hope? is a book that exposes just about everything I have experienced as a cop in urban America. It’s raw, it’s dark, it’s depressing and it’s an emotional roller coaster. It is also the truth about the world where urban cops toil. My hope is that I have provided some physical, emotional and spiritual insight to those people seeking knowledge about the world of police work.

As we move along, I will go through Beyond Hope? chapter by chapter and give some background into each story. I’ll try to update this blog space with a new chapter each week or so. I hope it provides some insight and entertainment beyond what is contined within the pages of Beyond Hope?

Thanks for stopping by.

September 23, 2009

Cop bashing

Filed under: Bashing the PO-lice — admin @ 1:40 pm

I received this comment last week and my immediate response was to just delete it. Then I thought about my days studying journalism in college in the 80s, and how it was preached to me to be open-minded. We all have opinions based on our experiences and the writer of this message is expressing his. I’ll reprint it here (with some minor editing for language only - the rest is printed as received) and then offer my opinions to a few of his thoughts. This was sent last Sunday and it was in response to the blog question “Is Saginaw really Dying?”:

“Ill tell you why saginaw is dying no one gives a s#!t including the cowards that call them selves cops I see young BLACK THUGS doing what ever the hell they want shooting guns off all hours of the night robbing 711 on court how many times this year? I think the cops are ckicken s#!t! oh sure lets sit out side the scottish inn and write dui tickets while 3 blocks away some one is getting shot I personaly know a guy who had 4 drinks at the bar got taken to jail and while in jail the scum that likes to steal your plumbing broke in and about destroyd his house why is the city wasting scarce resources on dui ck points ? there answer to prevent dui deaths. The chances of getting shot in this city is far gtreater than getting hit by a drunk I think there is more $ in dui tickets than arresting gang bangers! You look around and people are stealing aluminum siding off of houses in broad day light cops dont do s#!t! so f!%k you cops you are a bunch of chicken s#!ts!

First of all, I hear this type of stuff a lot so it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I am sure anybody who reads this will draw their own conclusions. But, I would like to make a few points.

Yes, there is a boatload of crime - of all types - in Saginaw. I believe city police respond to about 65,000 - 70,000 calls for service each year and, as most citizens know, a lot of property crime reports are now taken only at the front desk when there is no suspect and the crime is discovered after the fact. These are mostly for insurance claims. Considering that, there are probably well over 100,000 calls for police assistance that are received each year in the city. So, yes, there is huge crime in Saginaw. If you look up per capita crime rates and compare cities, Saginaw outranks many places that would surprise a lot of people.

Yes, there are gunshots going off all day and night, and the convenience stores get robbed far too often. The sad part is, considering the call volume and the number of cops working any given shift, there simply is not enough manpower to be as pro-active as we would like to be. If somebody can figure out how to predict what stores will be robbed at what times - I can count about 20 convenience stores on the west side alone - they would make a great deal of money with that talent. Oddly, I often hear people make the joke that 7-Eleven stores are the safest place to be because that’s all the cops do is hang out inside those stores. Interestingly enough, the last time the 7-Eleven on Court Street was robbed, it was an off-duty SPD officer who saw something wrong in the store and who came to the aid of the clerk and helped catch the suspect.

I’m not sure what to say about the DUI arrests except that, over the years when I have arrested people for various offenses, they usually complain that I should be arresting somebody else. Whatever their offense is, they usually minimize it by saying some other offense needs more attention. If they raped somebody, I should be catching bank robbers. If they robbed a bank, I should be catching murderers. If they killed somebody, I should be catching those dirty dope-dealing punks that are peddling dope to our children. The bottom line is this: Citizens elect politicians to make laws, which cops are hired to enforce. If drunken driving was not against the law, then it wouldn’t be enforced. Likewise, there is a lot of debate in this country about legalizing streets drugs. I have my opinions about that, but if drugs were legalized, I would have no problem with that in terms of police enforcement - one less thing to worry about. It’s obvious some people want cops to pick and choose which laws to enforce (usually, I find, they would like you to not enforce the laws they are breaking or the laws they consider bullshit). Some people think enforcing DUIs is baloney. But would they feel that way if their wife, husband, brother, sister, mother or father had been killed by a drunken driver? Maybe. Maybe not. Cops are given a lot of descretion when it comes to enforcing the law and how they spent their non-calls-for-service-driven time. Their perceptions, and therefore their actions, are probably based upon things such as personal experiences, attitudes and training. I guess the million dollar question is: If cops are always enforcing the wrong laws, what laws should they be enforcing, and to what extent?

Finally, there is the question of cops being a bunch of “chicken s#!ts”. I know cops who have been shot, who have shot others and cops who have had to kill people and had to live with that. I personally have not killed when I could have, and I have lived to be content with that decision. I do know when the gun calls go out, and the shots fired calls go out, like they do each and every day, the men and women I work with head for the calls and do their jobs as best they can. Why? I can’t speak for everybody, but for me it’s because that is my job and it’s the right thing to do. Does this response to violence make the cops at the SPD big, bad, tough, heroes? No, not really. Does it make them cowards and “chicken s#!ts?” I don’t think so, but that is a matter of opinion.

Being a cop is, by far, not the hardest job in the world. Nor is it the easiest. I will say until you’ve spent a few years doing this work, you can’t honestly know what it’s all about.

Book signings and TV-5

Filed under: Book signings — admin @ 12:56 pm

Thanks to all those who stopped by “Dawn of a New Day” coffee shop in downtown Saginaw last Friday for my two-hour book signing. While you always wish for more traffic (and more sales) at book signings, it was nice to meet those people who did show up to chat, offer a cup of coffee or buy a book. Thanks especially to Alex Alexandrou, a local actor friend, who stopped by and chated for nearly the entire two hours. Alex is one of those guys who seems to know everybody and I think more people stopped by my table to talk to Alex than to me. But, a customer is a customer. Plus Alex is headed to California next week for an acting gig and has promised to put one of my movie scripts - A Visit to Idlewild - into the hands of a producer he knows. Chances are nothing will come of it . . . but, as Wayne Gretzky once said: “You miss on 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I did get a little surprise during the book signing when WNEM TV-5 showed up to shoot a little footage of my signing (Thank God Alex was there at this particular time or it would have been footage of me talking to myself next to a stack of books). In any case, reporter Randy Wembley asked if we could followup with an interview shot from “the streets.” I believe he wanted to go somewhere to shoot where I had “been to a homicide, or had seen some other really bad stuff.” My half-joking response was: “Randy, it’s two o’clock in the afternoon and it’s 75 degrees out. If we go to some place like that, we might become the next ‘really bad stuff.’” After some prodding, I agreed to meet Randy, and I chose the intersection of N. 8th and Myrtle Streets for the shot. This used to be a hotbed for drug sales and shootings (I think I’ve responded to at least three homicides within a couple blocks of there over the years), but the area is nearly abandoned now and I thought it might be safe for a quick interview.

When I arrived, the street was abandoned, which was good, and I was immediately content with my choice of locations. I asked the camera man driving the news truck if this would provide a good backdrop. He was not quite as optimistic. “Man, what the $%&#! I grew up not far from here and I know what people will do up here!” He agreed to do the shot anyway and began to expeditiously assemble his equipment. As Randy and I talked it took only about 30 seconds for a few people to take notice, and start walking up, making cell phone calls and hovering around the area. Our anonymity faded quickly. Having just come from the coffee shop, I was still wearing sandals, shorts and a t-shirt (I was thinking casual for a coffee shop book signing). As I thought about just how damn out of place I looked, Randy walked around and talked to some people who were milling about as the camera man quickened his pace to set up shop. Then the camera guy turns to me and says: “Man, we kicked the bees nest out here; now everybody’s swarming around. Listen, you and Randy are going to walk down there by that house, walk back on this sidewalk as he talks to you, walk past the camera, then we’re going down there for an interview and then we’re getting the hell out of here!”

The shot, was a little nerve-racking, but ended up going fine. We got a good interview in and the story that ran on Friday’s six o’clock news came out well. I believe it can still be seen on the WNEM TV5 website in the video archives under the title of “local cop pens memoir,” or something along those lines. It was also pointed out by a co-worker that the video appeared on the police website “Police.one.”

The next day the on-line sales rankings of Beyond Hope? jumped from #152,112 to #407, and hovered around that mark for four days. Now, on-line sales rankings are pretty vague and I’ve never been quite sure what formula one uses to translate on-line sales ranking increases with actual books sold. That dramatic jump in sales ranking could mean I sold 100 books or it could mean I sold 1 and every other book listed by Barnes and Noble pitched a shutout over the same time frame. However. I do know that for a few days Beyond Hope? scored a higher Barnes and Noble on-line sales ranking than three books by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven, and For One More Day). I mention this because I love Mitch Albom’s work and have always tried to model my writing style after his, at least in terms of descriptiveness. I still would take one of Mitch’s royalty checks over a lifetime’s worth of mine any day, but for a short time, in terms of sales ranking at least, my numbers looked good. Check out the link to Peter Moskos’s blog for more on sales rankings, royalties and just how hard it is for most writers to make a living these days. In short, I won’t be retiring anytime soon to live off my royalty checks.

September 14, 2009

Dissecting “Beyond Hope?”

Filed under: Dissecting "Beyond Hope?" — admin @ 2:38 pm

Since the publication of Beyond Hope? I’ve had numerous people approach me, asking various questions about the writing of the book and about different chapters within the book. Some people - mostly cops - have confessed that they have many of the same feelings about law enforcement that I have, and they told me they are glad these things were given voice within the pages of Beyond Hope? I am always glad to hear such kind reviews of my work.

I received a similar comment this week from retired SPD officer Trace Vargas and it got me thinking about the book and all that it contains. I have re-read Beyond Hope? about five times since its publication and sometimes I think: “I should have said this,” or “I should have added that.” There is a lot of Monday-morning quarterbacking that goes along with book writing. I digress. Anyway, I started thinking that I have been missing my daily writing routine since Beyond Hope? got published and I wouldn’t mind getting back into writing a bit, but I’m not ready to tackle anything as meaty just yet as writing an actual book. So the thought hit me (”Wham!” . . . kinda like that) that with the new thoughts, comments and such that I have heard about Beyond Hope? , and the fact that the book is still fresh, maybe I should re-visit its 25 chapters and provide some more in-depth insight into the chapters and the events that formed the writing of each. I think this will be a unique way to delve even deeper into understanding what makes a cop a cop. Sometime within the next couple months - I was thinking of right before or just after the holidays - I will be starting, in this blog space, a dissection of sorts of the chapters of Beyond Hope? Now what I’m hoping for here is that you, the reader, (I truely hope there are some of you out there) can offer some thoughts on whether or not this sounds interesting to you. Also, I would love to answer within this dissection any specific or general questions you might have about urban police work or, more importantly, any of the chapters from Beyond Hope? You may offer your thoughts or pose these questions either in the comments section contained within this blog, in the guestbook section of this website, or by e-mailing me, using the link contained within this website. I hope this turns out to be a fun and informative project for everyone involved. My friend Peter Moskos of Cop in the Hood fame, clearly has a better blog space than me (you can check out Peter’s blog by following the “links” section on this website), but I don’t think Peter can say he is doing a live, open-to-the-public dissection of his book (As a writer I guess this is my version of “keeping up with the Jonses”).

Please offer your thoughts and check back here periodically to find out when this little experiment will begin. Also, coming soon, I (and again when I say “I” what I really mean is “my web guy Russ”) will be firing up a Beyond Hope? fan page through Facebook. I hope that also turns into something interesting.

Thanks for stopping by.

September 4, 2009

Something New on My “Links” Page

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 2:22 pm

In an effort to make this site just a tad more interesting and interactive I have added a new spot on my “Links” page, titled “Cop in the Hood Blog” (actually my website guy, Russ Uphold, did the work because I’m, well, just not all that smart with computers).

The site is maintained by Professor/Author/Former Baltimore City cop Peter Moskos. If you read Beyond Hope? you will recognize Peter as one of two authors (Lt. Randy Sutton is the other) to endorse my book. These guys are both excellent police writers, but Peter Moskos has taken his writing and promotion one step further with this blog. Moskos updates this site nearly daily and ferrets out pertinent law enforcement-related stories, human interest stories and stories about society in general as it relates to the life of a cop. In an effort to stir thought and sometimes debate, Peter climbs up on his soap box from time to time and gives some strong opinions about the stories to which he provides links. However, he doesn’t take sides simply to take sides. Peter is generally well-informed and open-minded on topics he chooses, and seems always to be respectful of the points of view offered by others, as long as there is a reasonable amount of sanity anchoring said viewpoints.

What Peter has done with his Cop in the Hood Blog is something I wish I could do on this site. Quite honestly, however, I am: A.) Too lazy to seek out stories, link them and comment on them B.) Too busy to take the time to do this even if I had the energy, and C.) I’m still a cop . . . I think Peter would know what I mean by this. When I work the streets 40 plus hours a week, responding to shootings, people overdosing on heroin in parking lots, fights with weapons and general public idiocy, I just don’t have the patience or the drive to come home and sift through and comment on these stories as they unfold in other communities. Peter Moskos became a Baltimore cop for about a year so he could write his book, Cop in the Hood from an educated point of view. Now, however, he is a Professor of criminology, which means his job is to stay well informed on the stories to which he provides links, and encourage discussion on these stories. So, rather than provide my own daily blog and running commentary about good guys, bad guys, crime and law enforcement, I’m just going to link up to Peter’s blog so any visitors here can be exposed to it also. I hope Peter will give me a mulligan on this one and take it as a compliment to his hard work and organizational skills. By the way, on the right side of his blog page, in the section titled “Labels,” there are two stories Peter has published about Beyond Hope? of which I am very proud. Check them out if you like - they’re listed, appropriately enough, under the heading Beyond Hope?

Just a reminder, I am still scheduled to do a book signing at Dawn of a New Day coffee shop (200 block of S. Washington Avenue across from The Saginaw News) on Friday, September 18th from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. I’m also working on getting Beyond Hope? placed in airport terminal gift shops in Michigan, so travelers can take a piece of Saginaw with them on their flights. How’s that for an odd marketing effort?

August 5, 2009

National Night Out

Filed under: Book signings — admin @ 6:39 pm

My wife and I spent last night at the Saginaw Township Police-hosted National Night Out at the Saginaw Township Soccer Complex. What a great event! It was great to meet all the people who came out to purchase copies of “Beyond Hope?” Five dollars from each book sold was donated toward the Michael Cohee Scholarship Fund. Thanks to all those - there were an estimated 4,000 people at the event - who stopped by our tent. This was a wonderful event that provided members of public safety - including various local police departments - an opportunity to mix with the public. Events such as these give me, well, hope I guess is the appropriate word, for a brighter future for our community at large. Thanks to STPD Officers Brian Kanicki and Chris Fredenberg who, I am told, were key organizers for this event. The event featured police, fire, ems, military and hospital displays, live music, a Blackhawk helicopter, a bicycle helmet giveaway, exhibits by the Saginaw Spirit (we were located near the Spirit, trying to help promote the upcoming Guns-and-Hoses Charity Hockey Game -thanks Bill and Joslyn) and Great Lakes Loons and the food vendors, piecing this thing together was no small task. Thanks to all involved.

I will be scheduling a couple more book signings soon: One (or two) will be held at Dawn of a New Day Coffee Shop in downtown Saginaw. I stopped in the other day and was amazed at the atmosphere. Hopefully, I can sample the food and drink during my book signings there. My wife had a luncheon catered by Dawn last week and raved about the food. She is one of those brave entrepreneuers that I applaude for making her way (back) in the brave new world of “hopeless” urban America . . . AND Dawn is a big supporter of the arts - what a great combination! Also, I will be scheduling book signings in September and during the holidays at Waldenbooks in Fashion Square Mall. Look for those announcements in The Saginaw News as they draw near. There’s no better last minute gift idea, or back-to-college gift than a book.

Disclaimer:On a side note, I feel compelled to clarify something within this blog: Both this blog and this website reflect my personal opinions and experiences. Neither this website nor my comments on this blog are in any way a reflection of my employer, the Saginaw Police Department or any other persons employed by the City of Saginaw. This blog contains my personal insights and thoughts, and I would never want those to be confused with the thoughts, feelings or insights of others. Thanks for stopping by.

July 29, 2009

Police acting “stupidly?” Really?

Filed under: Political — admin @ 2:12 pm

I know I promised not to get political here in my little corner of the world, but sometimes it’s hard not to sound off about something so personal as last week’s comments by President Obama about the arrest of Professor Gates. I let this digest for a while (something we all should practice) before commenting. Here goes:

I have no problem with the situation where Sgt. Crowley arrested Mr. Gates after the latter was questioned regarding possibly breaking into his own house and allegedly became disorderly. What transpired between Mr. Gates and Sgt. Crowley is not for me to judge because I was not present, I do not know all the facts and I do not know the motivation of either individual involved.

What DOES bother me deeply is that a man surely considered to hold one of the most powerful positions on the planet could publicly address this matter by admitting he knows nothing about what happened and then choose sides and make a public condemnation of the arresting officer. Every day cops are asked, often under very stressful circumstances, to exhibit patience, professionalism and, most of all, a demeanor of objectivity when dealing with the public they serve. To think that the President of the United States could stand in front of a national television audience and make a completely uninformed statement to America, condeming a police officer he has never met for the sake of defending a friend . . . well, it angered the hell out of me. Now it mostly just saddens me to know where President Obama really stands when it comes to those who serve the public and risk their lives for others.

Even worse, however, is that the President didn’t stop there. He went on to arbitrarily paint American law enforcement officers - past, present and I can only assume future - as racist people bent on treating African-Americans and Hispanics unfairly. That is quite a large brush with which to paint.

I cannot begin in this space, or in my mind, to dissect the relationship between law enforcement and the minority community in this country. I don’t think any single person has that ability. I am not naive enough to think there are not racist cops in the world - I am sure there are, per capita, as many racist cops as there are racist people in the general population. However, I do know being a white cop working in a majority minority municipality (Did you follow that one?) I have been the target of racial hatred on nearly a daily basis. The traffic on that street flows in both directions.

For the past 15 years, I have patrolled mostly on Saginaw’s east side and, more specifically, the northeast side. I practice law enforcement in an area that is probably occupied by 80% - 90% “minorities.” Simple math dictates that nearly all my calls and traffic stops involve non-whites. Additionally, because of where I work, most of the calls to which I respond are minority-on-minority crime. It’s just a fact of my working life that I must deal with. If the insinuation is that I’m a “racist” simply because my interactions are mostly with African-Americans or Hispanics, then how do I, as a cop, become “not racist?” The only answer, it would seem, is for me not to respond whenever the suspect is thought to be African-American or Hispanic or of some other minority background. That, of course, is not an option because the only persons hurt in that scenerio are the victims - usually African-Americans or Hispanics - that have called for help.

By the way, over the years I have pondered almost on a daily basis why there is so much crime and violence in the minority community in the city I serve. The best answer that I and my co-workers have come up with is that crime and violence are not dictated by skin color; they are dictated moreso by economics and education. Saginaw, like many Rustbelt manufacturing cities, is a fairly under-educated community with a poor economy and a higher-then-acceptable poverty rate. These factors, and not a person’s race, are determining factors in crime and, therefore, crime control. I think most cops understand that.

By the way, I have been in Sgt. Crowley’s situation dozens of times in my career, being sent to a house or business in response to someone of a “minority” background possibly breaking in. Thankfully, most of the time the persons I encounter, if it is their residence or business, gladly provide me with proof of such and the situation is resolved. On a few occassions, the persons I have encountered have become belligerent and accused me of being racist, even when the person who called is of the same race as the suspected offender and of a different race than me. In those situations, I normally take the abuse as best I can and try to explain things logically. Unfortunately, logic is often a useless tool with those bent on racial baiting and illogical temper tantrums.

I am asked every work day to protect the citizens my city - citizens of this great country. Through this incident I have come to one personal conclusion - I cannot shake the feeling that the President of the United States is not a friend to those he asks to protect it. This, more than anything, saddens me. And I don’t think sitting down for a beer will boost my spirits.

Thanks for listening.

July 15, 2009

Things to do in Saginaw

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 4:06 pm

While trolling YouTube the other day I came across a couple videos - one music-related and one not - that depict two different people’s fairly accurate (in my opinion) perspectives of Saginaw. I hope to have the links to those videos on this website soon. One is an approximate 3-minute video montage of Saginaw as seen through the eyes of the camera person. The other is a rap-style video of sorts that gives a raw look at life in “the streets” of Saginaw. The music video, I have to say, is pretty impressive. While I don’t find the lyrics appealing (it’s a cop thing), I find the music and the actual video to be pretty dead-on in terms of the message this guy is trying to get across. They are fairly depressing and graphic (and please keep in mind these are NOT my videos).

Anyway, for the sake of balance, I thought I would point out a few of the things I LIKE about Saginaw in this space to keep things even, so to speak.

Over the weekend, my wife and I were out and noticed a large crowd at the Davenport Inn (I believe it is actually flying under the Best Western moniker now). We heard the music coming from their outdoor patio and decided to give it a look. If you haven’t sat outside at the Davenport Inn in the early evening in the summertime, it’s a nice atmosphere. Despite the large crowd, the waitresses were pleasant and prompt and kept everybody happy. The atmosphere was made even better by a band - Maybe August - that is one of the best live bands I’ve seen in a while (not that I get out much). We intended to stay for a song or two, but stayed through the final set . . . and beyond. Maybe August sounded to me a bit like Bare Naked Ladies and they were every bit as fun as that group, interacting often with the crowd and keeping everybody upbeat. The drummer’s main interaction with patrons was to beg free rounds of shots for the band, a request that was answered often by those in attendance (I am told the band spent the night at the hotel, which was probably a good idea). Maybe August covered a few songs, including some surprises (”99 Red Balloons”) and pulled them off with ease. But, they played a lot of their own original stuff, which I have been listening to since the weekend courtesy of the CD-and-Maybe-August-T-Shirt-for-$20-Deal the band was offering that night. You can check these guys out at www.maybeaugust.com. We are going to try to catch up with them one more time before summer ends.

Speaking of good things about Saginaw, I stopped by the Montague Inn last week on minor police-related business and was reminded of a great night last winter. One of the gifts I got my wife for Christmas was “A Saginaw Night” (no, seriously). I decided that we were not taking full advantage of some of the good things in our community and that we should. So we took a night to ourselves and checked into the Montague Inn across from Hoyt Park. I had never been there and, after taking a tour, decided this place was too good to pass up. I booked the nicest suite available (it was a steal @ $165 per night). The Inn itself is clean, friendly and offers a wide variety of rooms for various prices (check them out a www.montagueinn.com). They also have full-service dining (I believe only on weekends), they have a full-service bar and a great patio, which looked like a good place to camp out and talk in the summer. A tour of the Inn is like a walk back in time (I know it’s cliche’ but it really is) and we loved every minute of being there. After check-in, we looked around a bit, and then headed to Jake’s, which is located at Court and Hamilton Streets in Saginaw’s Old Town district. The food and atmosphere there were incredible as well. After Jake’s we walked next door to JB Meinberg’s and enjoyed a drink by the fireplace. We followed-up with a stop at Retro Rocks to meet friends for a while, listen to music, and people watch before returning to the Montague to relax by the fireplace in our room before turning in. All-in-all a great “Saginaw night” that I would recommend to anybody.

My family and I have spent a lot of time enjoying ourselves in the city at places like The Saginaw Children’s Zoo, Pit and Balcony Theatre, Friday NIght Live and the Dow Event Center (we’re a hockey family). I thought it important to bring this up so people don’t think I have a deep-rooted hatred for Saginaw. I do not . . . I would just like to see more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff as Saginaw moves forward. If anybody has good stories about times spent in the city, please post a comment and share them.

July 6, 2009

Is Saginaw really “Dying?”

Filed under: Reviews, rants and awards — admin @ 2:06 pm

Last Tuesday (June 30th, I believe . . . but I’m too lazy to go downstairs and look at a calendar) started as one of “those” days. While dressing for work in the lockerroom @ about 0600 hrs, the previous shift Lt. was laughing hysterically about me being the topic of the previous night’s City Council meeting. He said the City Manager and Mayor had mentioned Beyond Hope? during the council meeting and slammed me for writing negative things about the City of Saginaw. They supposedly went on to say they are sick of hearing people talk negatively about the city. At first I thought he was joking. But, further conversation with other officers confirmed his story. And an hour later, while setting out for a day on patrol, both WSGW and 100.5 FM carried stories and sound bytes from interviews with Mr. Earley the day before. He was obviously not happy with the book . . . at least the title of the book (as in “One Cop’s Fight for Survival in a Dying City”). At one point it even seemed I was being set up for a cage match with local businessman Dick Garber as there seemed to be an insinuation that I was offending Mr. Garber by using the word “dying” in the title of a book about my experiences as a Saginaw police officer.

I found the whole thing unsettling to say the least. I am one of those people who likes to “fly under the radar,” so to speak, although I am sure that is not conducive to being a well-known author. This is why, even though I like to write, I have never been overly concerned with being a “well-known” author. Just to have someone call me an author without having to fight to supress giggles is enough for me.

I digress. I do not know Mayor Seals very well, but from what I’ve seen and the few times I’ve met her, she seems quite personable, and she obviously cares about Saginaw. I have met Mr. Earley on several occasions during contract negotiations when I was part of the patrol officers union executive board. I have found him to be not quite as friendly as Mayor Seals. However, that is to be expected when sitting on opposite sides of the bargaining table. One thing I never questioned about Mr. Earley was his dedication to performing his job of keeping Saginaw breathing while it struggles to stay afloat in the fiscal quagmire which threatens to consume it. In other words Mr. Earley is tight with the purse strings . . . because he has to be. I can - and do - have an appreciation for that. Both Mayor Seals and Mr. Earley spoke out in defense of Saginaw, maybe because they felt I was attacking it, and that is commendable. However, this book is not, and has never been, meant as an attack on the City of Saginaw.

Beyond Hope? was written to give those who care just a little better understanding of what it is like to practice policing in the violent and often surreal surroundings of Urban America . . . not just Saginaw. I am sure cops from Flint, Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc . . . have stories which are much worse than those found within the 168 pages of Beyond Hope? Obviously, because I’m a Saginaw cop, most of the cop stories told in this book revolve around Saginaw - that simply cannot be helped. What I find most disturbing is that some people in the newspaper have called me negative and anti-Saginaw for simply telling these stories as I perceive them.

Saginaw, Michigan, has lost nearly half its population in the past 40 years and the trend has not slowed. Jobs, houses and people have left Saginaw in droves. The violent crime rate is through the roof, poverty levels are staggering yesterday I read in The Saginaw News that more than 70% of children born in Saginaw are born to single mothers. Is Saginaw dying? Yes, I think it is. Do I want Saginaw to die? No - that would be a ridiculous wish since I have staked my employment future on this city. I am one of those people - take note Cubs and Lions fans - that love to pull for life’s underdogs. Saginaw, my friends, is the underest of underdogs. Since arriving in Saginaw in 1994 I have screamed from the hilltops that I am here to stay (Okay, it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but my friends, family and co-workers all knew from day one I was marrying my fortunes to this city, happiness be damned!). Few people want Saginaw to survive and thrive more than the employees of the City. However, I don’t believe turning a blind eye (as some residents seem prone to) to the problems that plague Saginaw and whistling a happy tune to ward off evil trolls and gnomes (poverty, violence and economic chaos) paves the road to Oz. Acknowledging Saginaw’s problems and dealing with them is the only way to correct them. Having patrolled the streets of Saginaw for 15 years I have seen the truth about what goes on day in and day out, and let me tell you, it ain’t good. Maybe some day we can change all that. I plan to continue to try.

There have been a dozen or so comments posted on-line in The Saginaw News since the article about Beyond Hope? was printed. Most commentors seem to share my thoughts, or at least my right to make such thoughts known. A couple chastised me for speaking such ills about my city, questioning my loyalty to my job and to Saginaw’s citizens. One person even said I would “run back to Port Huron” when I retire. To that person I would have to say: “Why can’t I run where I want to when I retire?” My plans, however, are to stay in Saginaw, keep answering calls for help as the come in (all too frequently) and settle in the area if I actually make it to retirement (Like most cops, I try not to take retirement for granted). A book itself is nothing more than a person’s thoughts put into writing. Why, having the police experience I have gained over 15 years, some people think I should not be allowed to share my viewpoints, is beyond me. It’s funny how people often expect cops to protect the God-given rights of others to have free speech, but they would take these same rights away from a cop in a second if they disagree with said cop’s perspective.

Ironically, the day the news broke about my book and it was insinuated that I was offending local businessmen - I believe Mr. Garber was correctly referred to as a philanthropist - I attended a meeting at the office of the Dick Garber-owned Saginaw Spirit to plan our third annual Guns-N-Hoses charity hockey game. This game has raised money for the Meijer Shop-With-A-Hero Program, the Mike Cohee Scholarship Fund and, this year, the 100-Club of Saginaw County. Do I hate Saginaw? Of course not. Do I think Saginaw is a perennial underachiver? You bet. Will Saginaw get better? I don’t know, but I’m willing to keep trying . . . even if it means writing about our collective failures along the way. By the way, Mr. Garber has since asked for a copy of the book.

Finally, I have wondered, with more than 200 hits on this website in the past few weeks, why nobody has taken the time to review Beyond Hope? here. Then I found out the review function is not connected. Being rather limited in my computer abilities, my website surgeon, Russ, is taking care of that for me. Please give me an honest review of Beyond Hope? on this site if you are so inclined.

Thanks for stopping by.

June 28, 2009

Early reviews and awards

Filed under: Reviews, rants and awards — admin @ 9:04 am

Beyond Hope? received some unexpected good news last week when it was awarded the Best Overall Submission (16 categories) and Best Non-Fiction Book at the 2009 Public Safety Writers Association annual conference and writing competition held at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Although I wasn’t able to attend, just being judged against the talent that was entered in this competition was a great experience. To place first overall was great!

Justin Engel of The Saginaw News ran a nice feature of Beyond Hope? in the paper’s June 26th edition. He hit the thrust of the book pretty well and I felt the article did the book justice.

Finally, I got to hand deliver a copy of Beyond Hope? to Gregory and Linda King recently. A memorial to their daughter, Karen, is displayed on the cover of the book. The Kings were kind enough to give me permission to use the photo, and that was no easy decision I am sure. Theirs is a nightmare no parent should have to endure and to have to constantly re-live it has got to be a great burden. However, they trusted me to use the photo and to briefly tell Karen’s story. For that I am forever grateful because, as mentioned in the book, Karen’s death had an effect on a lot of cops in Saginaw, especially those of us who were working the night it occured and those detectives and supervisors who worked the case.

I was very surprised at how well the Kings handled themselves when meeting with me and talking about this book. As for me, I had a hard time maintaining my composure. How do you look into the eyes of the parents whose daughter you failed to save and not shed a tear? It was not an easy thing to do, but I am glad to have met them and shared in their loss in my own small way. Thanks to Tom Heriter for suggestting I hand deliver the book rather than mail it.

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