Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. ROY HUNTINGTON INSIDER RUMINATIONS “One of many tough assignments I had to deal with.” d ave’s gone, but not forgotten. He’ll still write now and again and inbetween goofing off, take a few pictures for us too. Dave helped us bring COP to life and I’ll always appreciate that. You’ll notice Sammy Reese is now the Executive Editor. Sammy’s been writing for us for a few years now. He left the Marines as a captain, then put eight years on the Escondido PD, working patrol, SWAT, range duties and other stuff until an uninsured jerk rammed his patrol car. The city made Sammy retire due to an injury and I snatched him up. He’ll help to keep things wellgrounded here in reality; and be fore warned, his bull-meter is well tuned. I’ve found I’m wearing the editor’s hat here now. That word “Publisher” just means I get yelled at by the “big” boss, but “Editor” is where the meat is. COP was our brainchild a few years ago, and the staffers at FMG were foolish enough to believe everything I said (or most of what I said …). We got the green light and the ride hasn’t slowed down since. We’ll soon have the largest circulation of any of the copzines, and the kudos continue to roll in. It’s not because we’re particularly smart, but because we tell the truth and get people who know their stuff to write the articles. The buck will continue to stop directly on my desk, and if there’s something needing attention, that buck won’t be passed off to anyone else. So call if you need to and we’ll sort it out, whatever it is. Honest. “Just so you know,” as Clint Smith would say, I wanted to be a cop since I was 12 years old. Lived it, breathed it, wanted it badly and couldn’t hardly wait to be 21. I became an Explorer Scout with the Chula Vista PD in 1968 and had my own Rayovac flashlight, genuine handcuffs and a spray-painted-white old GI helmet liner with an official CVPD logo on it. Who would have ever thought directing traffic for the 4th of July parade could be a heady experience? “Sorry ma’am, the street’s closed.” Whew. At 21 I became a Reserve with them, and left there four and a half years later as a Reserve Sergeant — and much wiser. Or at least a bit wiser. I shot on the pistol team there (even against Mexican Federale agents and Tijuana cops in Mexico — but that’s another story), and left at 25 to join the San Diego PD as a full-time cop. Damndest thing that, as I actually was doing what I had dreamed about, maybe just like you. And, it didn’t disappoint. Okay, maybe sometimes, and even then mostly because of administration idiots and fellow beat cops who were too stupid (or just plain jerks) to BAck IN The SAddle INSIDERRUMINATIONS be wearing a badge, but had slipped in anyhow. You know them. We still have them. But it worked, and I thought I was good at it, until I would periodically be reminded I too was an idiot at times, and only by the grace of the gods of new cops escaped with my skin on more times than I care to admit. I worked the gamut of jobs, with the focus being patrol-oriented gigs, with periodic stints in a suit in the likes of public affairs and such — which taught me you need to talk too in order to be a good cop. I did some vacation reliefs for detectives but, simply put, hated it. I appreciate a good detective (my wife was one so I have to say that), but it wasn’t for me. Up-front, on the street, in their faces was what I liked. I spent some time driving police boats in Mission Bay and that was, well, um, ‘er, a pretty fun job. But I learned bad guys drive boats and are just as stupid on the water as in the parking lot around the bay. I was still in their faces, but wore tennis shoes and a floatation vest. Did I tell you about the jet skis we drove? How do you carry a gun on a jet ski? I’ll tell you some day. Ask any cop worth their salt what the favorite part of their job is and they’ll say — sometimes wistfully, as they look back on a career — “putting cuffs on a genuine bad guy.” And it’s true. Doesn’t matter what they do now, most cops tell stories about their time on the streets, fighting, running, digging for criminals, blood on their hands, screeching tires, saving lives, smiling at kids, and yes, helping old people. It was/is all great and why we do it. There’s nothing like it anywhere and don’t forget that. But we have to remember we work for the citizens — and never, ever forget that either. They aren’t generally assholes, aren’t generally liars, aren’t generally bad and do generally want to help us out. They make mistakes at times, but it’s still okay to be polite, helpful and positive. Believe it or not, you are a role model, and I’d wager my meager salary you’re a much better one than some miscreant, famous, ex-felon on parole, current gang member, sports-dude. Hell, I’d vote for you. I retired in 1999 after 20 years “on the job” as they say on the NYPD. And yes, it’s still in the blood, my head still swivels when I drive, but I — and all of us here at COP — have something else needing doing now. Helping you. Roy — out. INSIDERRUMINATIONS Continues on page 69 WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2009 70