RENT A COP

WHEN WE LIVED IN MANSFIELD, I WORKED FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON A PART TIME BASIS.  SUSAN WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND ANGELA WAS FIVE. 

I WAS WORKING AT THE GM PLANT IN ARLINGTON DURING THE DAY AND FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR TWO OR THREE NIGHTS A WEEK.

ONE EVENING CHIEF SEATON ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY?

“SURE,” I SAID “WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?”

“HENRY PACE HAS A ROLLER RINK OUT ON THE MIDLOTHIAN HIGHWAY AND HE HAS BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH SOME BIG TEENAGERS GETTING ROUGH WITH THE SMALLER KIDS WHILE THEY SKEET.  HE JUST NEEDS A POLICE PRESENCE TO KEEP THEM QUITE.  ALL YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO WOULD BE TO STAND AROUND AND LET THEM SEE YOU.”

“I’LL GO TALK TO HIM AND SEE WHAT WE CAN WORK OUT” I SAID.

“OK, BUT HE IS ONLY OPEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS FROM 6:00 P M UNTIL 10:00 P M.”

THE NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS AND I DROVE OUT TO THE ROLLER RINK.  I WORE MY UNIFORM AND GUN.  WE GOT THERE RIGHT AT SIX O’CLOCK AND MR. PACE WAS JUST OPENING THE DOORS.  I INTRODUCED MY SELF AND SAID THAT CHIEF SEATON TOLD ME TO COME TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE PROBLEM HE WAS HAVING WITH THE BIG TEENAGERS.

WE TALKED FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND CAME TO AN AGREEMENT WHICH INCLUDED LETTING JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS SKATE FREE OF CHARGE WHILE I WAS ON DUTY.

I WAS STANDING INSIDE WATCHING JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS SKATE WHEN THREE BIG ROUGH LOOKING TEENAGERS CAME IN.  THEY LOOKED AROUND AND SAW ME STANDING THERE.  THEN THEY WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO TALK THE SITUATION OVER.  THEY DIDN’T KNOW THAT I WAS WORKING FOR MR. PACE AND THOUGHT I WAS JUST THERE WITH MY FAMILY.  FINALLY THEY GOT IN THEIR PICKUP AND LEFT.

THE RINK WAS PRETTY FULL OF WOMEN AND YOUNGER KIDS.  MR. PACE CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID,

“I WAS GLAD YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT.  THOSE TOUGHS WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO HURTING SOME PEOPLE TONIGHT.  JUST YOU BEING HERE STOPPED THAT.”

AT TEN O’CLOCK HE CLOSED THE RINK AND WE ALL WENT HOME.  I ASKED THE GIRLS HOW THEY LIKED THE SKATING AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TOMORROW NIGHT?  THEY BOTH SAID THEY WOULD, SO THE NEXT NIGHT WE WERE BACK AT THE SKATING RINK AT SIX O’CLOCK.

MR. PACE TOLD ME THAT SATURDAY NIGHTS WERE HIS BUSIEST NIGHTS AND THAT WAS WHEN HE HAD HIS MOST TROUBLE WITH THE TOUGHS.  JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS GOT THEIR SKATES ON AND WENT OUT ON THE FLOOR.  IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE RINK WAS CROWDED AND JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS CAME OFF AND SAT DOWN TO REST.

AS WE SAT THERE, MR. PACE CAME OVER AND SAID,

“WELL LOREN IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY TROUBLE TONIGHT.  I GUESS HIRING YOU WAS A GOOD IDEA.”

“WELL THIS IS THE EASIEST JOB I’VE EVER HAD.  I JUST HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY.”

IN A LITTLE WHILE JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS WENT BACK OUT ON THE FLOOR TO SKATE SOME MORE AND I WALKED OUTSIDE TO GET A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.  I WALKED AROUND THROUGH THE PARKING LOT LOOKING AT THE CARS AND PICKUPS.

IT WAS AFTER EIGHT O’CLOCK AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING TONIGHT WERE ALREADY THERE.  I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE ANOTHER PICKUP DRIVE INTO THE LOT.  THEN I RECOGNIZED THE THREE TOUGHS.  THEY HADN’T SEEN ME BECAUSE I WAS BEHIND SOME CARS.

THEY GOT OUT OF THEIR PICKUP AND STOOD IN FRONT OF IT.  I COULD HEAR THEM TALKING..  THEY SENT ONE OF THEIR GROUP INSIDE TO SEE IF I WAS THERE TONIGHT.  THE OTHER TWO SAT ON THE FRONT FENDERS OF THEIR PICKUP AND SMOKED A CIGARETTE.

WHEN THE THIRD MEMBER CAME BACK AND SAID I WASN’T THERE TONIGHT THEY THREW DOWN THEIR CIGARETTES AND STARTED WALKING TOWARD THE DOOR.  THAT’S WHEN I STEPPED OUT FROM BEHIND THE CARS AND SAID,

“HOLD IT BOYS.  YOUR NOT WANTED IN THERE.  YOUR TIME FOR MAKING TROUBLE HERE IS OVER.  I’M HERE EVERY NIGHT THE RINK IS OPEN AND I’M PUTTING YOU ON NOTICE NOW.  IF YOU EVER COME BACK HERE I’LL ARREST YOU FOR TRESPASSING.  NOW GET IN YOUR PICKUP AND LEAVE.”

I WENT BACK INSIDE AND TOLD MR. PACE ABOUT MY CONVERSATION WITH THE THREE TEENAGERS.

“I DON’T THINK YOU WILL HAVE ANY MORE TROUBLE WITH THEM.”

APPARENTLY I WAS RIGHT, BECAUSE THE NEXT THREE WEEKENDS WERE TROUBLE FREE.  AT CLOSING TIME THAT SATURDAY NIGHT MR. PACE TOLD ME HE DIDN’T THINK HE NEEDED ME ANY MORE, BUT JOHNNIE AND THE GIRLS COULD STILL COME AND SKATE FOR FREE ANYTIME THEY WANTED TO.

WELL, I THOUGHT, I WORKED MYSELF RIGHT OUT OF A JOB, DIDN’T I?  BUT I DIDN’T MIND, THAT STANDING AROUND NOT DOING ANY THING BUT LOOKING PRETTY REALLY WASN’T MY KIND OF JOB ANYWAY.

NOW MY NEXT JOB WAS … BUT NO, THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.