As a rookie in 202 post and getting to know my way around (I knew Central like the back of my hand from being a Cadet dispatcher but Northern was unfamiliar, I used to drive around Pumphrey on warm summer afternoons/evenings. You can imagine the "stares" I got from the residents as I cruised slowly through the neighborhood, simply getting to know the streets/names, etc.
After some time, I discovered that the Police were rarely called to Pumphrey. Those folks took care of their own problems, unless of course it was "very serious".
I remember a 10-16 I got on Zeppelin Ave. one night which was odd coming from that neighborhood. As I pulled up, there were several residents standing in the front yard. I got out of my car and walked toward the house. No one said a word and they were not hostile (or overly friendly) to my presence. As I approached the house, I asked what was going on and a voice from the crowd simply said, "It's all OK now Officer. The problem is gone."
Insisting I see the female resident whom I assumed called in, I walked up to the porch and knocked on the screen door. A lady in her 40's appeared, with an obvious swollen eye and residual tears on her flushed face. I asked her what happened and she calmly said she and her husband got into a fight, but he's gone now. I'll be fine. She did not wish to pursue the matter or press charges.
As I was leaving (in those days we rarely wrote reports on 10-16's unless someone got locked up), I stopped by the people who had gathered on the front lawn. I asked if anyone knew what had happened and where the husband was. A woman in the crowd said, "Oh you don't need to worry about him. He's gone and he won't be back for a long time. If he does come back, don't you worry Officer, you won't be getting any more calls about him."
OK I said. Have a good evening. "202 Radio. 10-24 no report. Complainant requires no Police involvement. 10-8"
The good old days!
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