Had another Grapevine PD contact yesterday....
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:17 pm
So we have a young lady living with us right now whom we've given a place to stay until she can get her feet back under her. My wife and I attend a weekly BNI-type of business networking meeting at 8 a.m. every Wednesday morning, and we typically get out the door to the meeting at about 7:40. Our house guest typically leaves for work at about 7:45 a.m., and on those mornings, she arm the burglar alarm. On other mornings, we're usually still sitting having our coffee when she leaves for work, and she knows we're home so she doesn't arm the alarm system.
Anyway, yesterday morning, she left before we did; and assuming that we had already left, she armed the alarm while we were still in the house. The results are predictable. When we left, we triggered the alarm; but because the siren doesn't really start for 30 seconds (to give you time to get to the keypad and turn it off if you're on your way IN to the house), we never heard the alarm from inside our car as we drove away.
We arrived at The Original Pancake House in Grapevine where our group meets, and as I get out of the car my cellphone rings. It's the alarm company calling me to tell me that there was an alarm, and did we want them to send the polices. I said to go ahead and send them, and then I turned around and went back home to meet them there.
I got home before the police got there. Everything looked OK, but I resisted the temptation to go inside until the officer got there. Pretty soon he drives up, gets out, and ambles over to me. I introduced myself and we shook hands. He introduced himself by first and last name. I voluntarily took out my ID holder, flipped it open, and hand it over to him. He took a look, didn't say a thing, and handed it back to me. Then I unlocked the front door and we went in together. The only thing out of place was our dog Trapper. He was so thoroughly traumatized by the system's siren that he was burrowed into the back of our master closet and wouldn't come out until we had been in the house for 10 or 15 minutes. He finally came out very cautiously, but it took him a while to settle down and relax.
The GPD officer who answered the call handled things calmly, professionally, and with good humor. He even took an interest in my dog's happiness and tried to reassure him that everything was OK. He didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about my CHL, and he never asked me if I was armed. All in all, it was a good encounter.
Anyway, yesterday morning, she left before we did; and assuming that we had already left, she armed the alarm while we were still in the house. The results are predictable. When we left, we triggered the alarm; but because the siren doesn't really start for 30 seconds (to give you time to get to the keypad and turn it off if you're on your way IN to the house), we never heard the alarm from inside our car as we drove away.
We arrived at The Original Pancake House in Grapevine where our group meets, and as I get out of the car my cellphone rings. It's the alarm company calling me to tell me that there was an alarm, and did we want them to send the polices. I said to go ahead and send them, and then I turned around and went back home to meet them there.
I got home before the police got there. Everything looked OK, but I resisted the temptation to go inside until the officer got there. Pretty soon he drives up, gets out, and ambles over to me. I introduced myself and we shook hands. He introduced himself by first and last name. I voluntarily took out my ID holder, flipped it open, and hand it over to him. He took a look, didn't say a thing, and handed it back to me. Then I unlocked the front door and we went in together. The only thing out of place was our dog Trapper. He was so thoroughly traumatized by the system's siren that he was burrowed into the back of our master closet and wouldn't come out until we had been in the house for 10 or 15 minutes. He finally came out very cautiously, but it took him a while to settle down and relax.
The GPD officer who answered the call handled things calmly, professionally, and with good humor. He even took an interest in my dog's happiness and tried to reassure him that everything was OK. He didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about my CHL, and he never asked me if I was armed. All in all, it was a good encounter.
