Crime and Crooks

Yes, that's you. Consider yourself part of my information army of crime fighters. The more you know about crooks and they way they do their dirty deeds the better prepared you are to keep them and their filthy activities at bay.

Can you hear the disdain in my voice? I hope so. I've worked in research for a metropolitan police department for 18 years and been a crime analyst there for the past eight. It's the best job in the world for people like me who want to catch crooks but are too chicken to patrol the streets. I use technology, research and plain old common sense to get the job done.

Besides a reasonable set of morals, my dislike for criminals is personal. My 70-year-old father was jogging at dusk on a summer evening many years ago. He was traveling a safe route around the elementary school my parents lived across for 35 years. Suddenly, two male assholes came up on him from behind and tried to rob him. My Dad didn't have any valuables on him, so they beat him on the head and face, knocking him down to the ground. They went through his pockets and, by the grace of God, did not find his house key.

Now, my father is a brave man. He survived worse than this in his life, including World War II and malaria three times. But this assault changed something for my parents; the invasion of our safety zone destroyed peace of mind that could not be regained. My parents moved away from our home, my childhood neighborhood of 30 years, shortly after. All because of two thug clowns looking for a few bucks for their next fix. So, I have a special place in my heart for robbers - evil losers with warped senses of entitlement.

I've come to terms with the fact that bad things happen in this world and embraced the power I have to make a difference in my own little corner of it. I'd like to share my tips with you and hope you'll share what you learn with everyone you know. We can take the dastards down, one post at a time.