By Candie Beck thecabin.net Copyright 2012 The Cabin. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Last Saturday night, I was given a back-stage pass, if you will, to what goes on in Faulkner County during the night shift for deputies with the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Department.

My escort, Sgt. Johnnie Fowlkes, picked me up at 5 p.m. and while there was still some daylight, took me on a drive to show me the vast perimeters that a shift of only five deputies must cover each night.

It was immense. I saw places in the county I didn’t know existed (Frenchman’s Mountain) and some, that truth be told, I will probably never see again unless something tragic happens and I have to go there for work.

Our first call of the night was a prime example of how not only Fowlkes and his crew, but law enforcement in general, have to deal with people involved in petty and insignificant disputes. The call came over the radio while we were driving in Mayflower that a man had called to report that he had been assaulted by his neighbor. The catch was that he had been assaulted when she threw a plate which held a hot dog and some chips at him. He was outraged and wanted something done about it, so off we went.

When we arrived at his home, the man admitted to having had a few drinks (always a great thing to tell an officer) and said that his neighbor had thrown the plate at him while he was standing in the driveway that they share.

When Fowlkes spoke with the neighbor, she said that she had been upset because her children had been outside and the man had spun out of the driveway and threw rocks which could have hit her children.

However, when Fowlkes was done speaking with the woman and the real truth came out, the neighbors were continuing a fight that had started at school with their children. They just needed someone to break it up and put them back in their own corners.

When we got back inside the car, Fowlkes shared that he believes that most disputes are never about what the involved parties tell you they are about and that in most cases, there is another reason which set the ball in motion. (Or the hot dog in the air, as it were.)

We drove to more areas of the county I hadn’t seen and talked about why he chose this profession, what he does on a “normal” shift and of course, what all the jargon I hear on the radio is about. I am not too proud to admit that I was like a kid with a new toy to get the inside scoop about all of the “code” I hear during the air traffic on the radio that blares in the newsroom.

I’m sure I could have found most of it online and I’m sure most of you know it, but I have learned that if at any time, a dispatcher has to say my name over the air when an officer is running my license plate, I want to hear these words: “The vehicle is registered to Candie Beck out of Conway. She has no numbers and is 10-52.”

Our next call was one that brought a serious problem to my attention and one that you will see a story about in the very near future.

We were called out to someone’s home that had been burglarized and could not find the address. We were on the right road, we were looking at mail boxes searching for the address, dispatch double-checked their information and we still could not find the address. Finally a dispatcher radioed and gave us some information that the home was way off the road and we got lucky and found a drive way we hoped would lead us to the house.

The owner, did not have a mailbox up because he said kids just kept knocking it down and he did not have any markings to indicate to emergency vehicles where they needed to go to find him. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt. However, his belongings certainly did get stolen and his home was damaged.

The homeowner has an alarm system, but the suspects cut the phone line so the alarm signal couldn’t get to the alarm company and then pulled the alarm out of the wall. They made more of a mess than anything, passing by expensive items to take obscure things, but were kind enough to take some juice out of the cupboard and help themselves to it, leaving it behind with their DNA on it, when they were done stealing everything they wanted. The evidence was collected and hopefully the people at the state crime lab can help catch the suspects. I’ll let you know.

About five hours into the shift, we did something I still think is a great way for the guys to keep their wits about them and reinforce the knowledge that each member of the shift is their brother’s keeper. Fowlkes called everyone together, they let me choose a restaurant and we all came in and had a dinner break together. I got to meet everyone, ask more questions and see the job from another perspective.

Fowlkes said that they don’t always get to eat together because sometimes the circumstances don’t allow for it, but if they can, they do. He said he thinks it is a way for his deputies to bond and also get each other’s feedback about a call they just responded to. I got the sense that he is the patriarch of the group and his deputies respond well to him because they know he genuinely cares about them.

The one thing I could never get used to is how people stare when they see a uniform. It was hilarious. I asked the guys if it bothered them, but they said it is something you get used to because it happens all the time.

A stop for gas and a call that turned out to be nothing and we headed back to Mayflower for a domestic disturbance.

I learned two things during this call. The first is that if you don’t get along with your brother, the worst place to get into a fist fight is at your daughter’s birthday party. The second is that when carrying a video camera, already angry people get even more angry. Note to self.

With a state trooper, a member of the Mayflower Police Department on scene and one of his deputies, Fowlkes left the area and we continued on our site seeing adventure and made it to Mount Vernon and Enola.

We had just got back from there and inside the city limits when the dispatcher advised that officers with the Conway Police Department had called and requested assistance with a fight downtown. The dispatcher said there were hundreds of people and we headed in that direction at a quick pace, but no flashing lights, until the dispatcher said that CPD had asked them to “step it up”.

From that point on, we were racing down Harkrider Street, lights flashing, sirens blaring and I will have to admit, I was beside myself with excitement. I know that is probably wrong and I was only excited because I knew I didn’t have to deal with it when we got to our destination.

As soon as we got downtown, I handed Fowlkes his flash light and he ran from the car, ready, as was every other officer present, to handle that situation before it got out of control. I have never seen so many people pouring out of a building. When that was dealt with, Fowlkes assisted CPD again as the crowd had dispersed to a home to finish their party.

When that was cleared up, we once again got to race to a destination, lights flashing, sirens blaring. There was an accident, which after seeing both vehicles, I do not know how the driver walked away from it. Call it luck, call it divine intervention, but I saw another accident that night with the same ending.

So other than damaged vehicles, no one was hurt and I was thankful not only for those involved but for myself as well. No one wants to see what happens when a big rig hits a compact car.

The night ended with us driving around looking for a suspicious person that someone had reported seeing in their neighborhood. We searched a long time, but didn’t see this phantom person. Probably a good thing, with all of the equipment Fowlkes has to carry in his vehicle, I’m not sure we could have put anyone in the back seat, although Fowlkes assures me he does when needed.

At 5 a.m. Sunday morning, Fowlkes dropped me back off at my house and I crawled into bed. As I was trying to unwind and get some sleep, my mind kept wandering and I kept thinking about why these guys do what they do.

I can guarantee you it isn’t for the money and I know firsthand that it is not for any sort of glory because surprisingly enough, most folks weren’t that excited to see law enforcement roll up for a meet and greet. The only thing I can figure is that they do it because they genuinely like people and want to make a difference.

I know what you’re thinking, we have all heard horror stories about some crusty old-timer cop who is burned out and probably should have retired years ago because he is horrible to deal with and loves nothing more than to cause a hardship for everyone he meets. I’m not going to say that this doesn’t happen in every department because there is always a bad apple in any profession, but for the most part, they have to like what they do because working nights and being lied to on a regular basis is not a job perk.

Overall, I think the department could use a few more deputies per shift because the county is huge and I can see how sometimes the response time might not be as instant as someone needing help might like, but they do the best they can with what they have and what the budget allows.

I couldn’t have had a better time or spent 12 hours doing anything else that would be as much fun.

Thanks to Sgt. Fowlkes and the “D” shift for letting me tag along.

The nightlife in Faulkner County is wild!

(Candie Beck is a staff writer and can be reached at 505-1238 or at candie.beck@thecabin.net)