Subj : A Sad Encounter
To   : Mike Dippel
From : Barry Martin
Date : Mon Jul 21 2025 07:05:00


Hi Mike!

 -> The good news is you and your partner were there to try to help.  The
 -> bad news is he did jump, which of course affected the lives of his
 -> family and friends as well as you.  As you commented perhaps if he had
 -> not died he could have been in and out of mental facilities.  The wife
 -> and daughter would have had a husband and father, perhaps a good one,
 -> perhaps an abusive one.  We'll never know, we hope for the best and
 -> prepare for the worst.
 MD> Well said.
 
Thank you.  The problem is one never knows the outcome to a what-if 
event.  As I mentioned, one scenario would be he turned his life around 
and all lived happily ever-after.  In another scenario where he also 
lived he made others' lives a living Hell. And of course other scenarios
with other potential endings.  The thing is, one needs to do what seems 
right for that future.  I think you did right trying to save him.


 ->  MD> Mike Dippel
 ->  MD> D.P.D. 1977-1979, when I was put on indefinite layoff status
 ->  MD> along with 1,000 other officers.
 -> Definitely as tangential comments: was that due to the financial
 -> problems Detroit had?  About that time I was completing college and had
 -> my nose in the books.
 MD> The funds that they used to be able to hire roughly 1000 officers
 MD> ran out after 2 years.

I could see that.  Paying 1,000 officers is not a small chunk of change,
plus there are tangential costs: 500 vehicles, though probably closer to
200-250 as three shifts ==> 1,000 officers, 2 per car is 500; 3 shifts 
is 166 but you don't all instantly switch out of and into at shift 
change.   ...Probably would have been better in the long run to hire 
half the number and so extend the funding.  (Obviously all kinds of 
details just on the funding I am guessing at.)


 -> Another comment is I think it is better to have a squad car with two
 -> officers as opposed to just one.  One can drive and look out for
 -> obstacles, the other can give directions to follow the suspect plus a
 -> second set of eyes.  Second one can also be on the radio.  At the scene
 -> those suspects seem to become the Incredible Hulk and a lone officer has
 -> quite a struggle.
 MD> True, but I then did a 21 year stint as a Fort Lauderdale officer
 MD> in a solo vehicle.  It actually puts more eyes on the road to do
 MD> it as a solo vehicle, and backup isn't that far away.  If the
 MD> situation calls for it, 2 solo vehicles are dispatched.  If the
 MD> situation demanded, one officer would wait for the other to
 MD> arrive before they both move in together.

Which makes sense.  Two officers patrolling together makes sense in one
group of ways, single officers also makes sense as can cover more area,
just wait for assistance when warranted.


 MD> One thing you have to do in bad situations is to be as calm as
 MD> possible so as not to have to try and be the Incredible Hulk.
 MD> You can turn into the Hulk once backup arrives :)

<chuckle>  I'll admit I would not be a good officer.  (Oooo! Can I play 
'bad cop'?!!)  I have patience but not the right kind for that sort of 
job.


                     ¯                                 ®
                      ¯  BarryMartin3@MyMetronet.NET  ®
                     ¯                                 ®


.... Got pulled over by dyslexic police officer last night who gave me an IUD
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