The Michigan Daily, Friday, July 24, 1987- Page 11 On University patrol with an Ann Arbor cop (ContinuedfromPage) police is a new fad among high downright mean. Others are probably chairs and a desk for the lieutenant school students: carrying guns. bored. You have to watch out." who was about to conduct roll call. Waites says guns are a status Passing through town Waites On the wall were bulletins of FBI symbol among teenage gang spotted an expired license plate, but warrants, pictures of missing members who hang out downtown. he didn't stop the offender because children, and an announcement about Some have even fired their weapons there was too much traffic. By 5:15 the department canoe outing. Seven in fights between gangs from we were back on North Campus, officers sat at tables waiting to be different high schools, though no checking out parking lots around the briefed on arrests made in the last 24 one has yet been injured. music school. hours, on suspects at large, and on We received a call to check out a anything else of relevance to their larceny case on Hubbard Road. It upcoming shift. was a code four, the lowest priority Also in attendance were Dragnet call. Since there was nothing else stars Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks pressing, he decided to go. - standing by a side wall in the After having some trouble finding form of a lifesize card board cutout. the place, we reach the Industrial The lieutenant's final decree: Technology Institute, looking for "Okay. Have a safe day!" the victim who was supposed to Dan Waites, a 29-year-old officer meet us. Waites asked the dispatcher with three years experience on the to call the victim and let him know force, was assigned to be my guide. we had arrived. He grew up in Flint, and spent three It took Waites about 15 minutes years as an officer in Houston during to take all of the information he the recession before coming to Ann needed from the man, a University Arbor. He would be one of two employee whose compact disc player officers patrolling the University was stolen from his office. that afternoon. rf"How about something to drink?" By 3:30 we were out on the road, Waites asked. It was time to take a heading toward North Campus. twenty minute break. Waites said that the last few weeks Over iced tea at the Brown Jug, had been slow, but with the Art Waites... Waites described the differences Fairs beginning the next day, things takes a larceny report between big city policing in would pick up. I had a secret desire On the way back to Main Houston and being a cop in Ann for something juicy to happen, Campus, Waites pulled over to aid a Arbor. Houston is a more dangerous perhaps a high speed chase or a motorist stranded on Fuller Road. city, but the internal dynamics of the shootout. But I suspected Waites Waites alerted the dispatcher of the Ann Arbor police department makes was not so eager for such things. traffic hazard and waited there until working here more tense, Waites Waites explained his strategy for the car was towed away to prevent a said. finding suspicious activity: go to rear-end collision. Waites finds the Ann Arbor spots where people normally don't - After 15 minutes we were back go. We checked out near-empty on the road, continuing the patrol on parking lots, dead-end streets, back Main Campus. At 4:40 we were 4 allies and loading docks behind called to assist another officer at the buildings - places where burglaries scene of an accident on Main Street. are likely to occur. A ten-year-old boy had been struck Summer Special Waites said the advantages of the by a car and his leg was cut badly. at campus beat are variety and a wider Waites aided the officer already on area to patrol. There are more the scene by collecting names of assaults and thefts around the witnesses. University than in other parts of Ten minutes later we made our TANNING CENTER town, which makes for more action. way back to the Diag. Waites waved But Waites said some officers dislike to a street person, who was pushing 216 S. State dealing with the University a shopping cart full of beer cans up ph. 747-8844 Department of Public Safety. "A lot State Street. "You get to know most of times they feel we don't go far of the street people. Most of them 10 sessions enough in our duties," Waites said. are pretty good guys. (The street * for He refused to elaborate on that. people) know that a lot of times * $30.00 with Contrary to popular opinion, they break the law, but it's almost a * . coupon Waites said most police officers sort of game for them," Waites said. enjoy dealing with University "That guy's only problem is that he 4 sessions good only oncampus students, and do not intentionally likes to walk into people's homes..., and must be purchased by harass them if a party is loud. But He doesn't usually hurt anything, August 31,1987 still, 'officers receive a lot of though." harassment themselves when they Even though street people rarely make a call on a noise complaint or commit major crimes, they are not tow a car away. Waites says the only harmless, Waites said. "Some are effective response is to ignore the taunts. "One thing you find about college students - there is no correlation between academic achievement and maturity." The big trouble-makers in town are the jam box-toting high school ' Now accepting applications for fall kids who hang out on Liberty and State Streets, Waites said. Teenagers * Days and nights are often responsible for public * Weekends disturbances, small thefts, and * Call or stop in TODAY! vandalism that occur downtown. A current worry of the Ann Arbor 1220 S. University 665-2034 police administration too concerned most of the guys have college with appearances and paperwork. He educations, and most of the guys are said Police Chief William Corbett is responsible." a stickler for proper form. Even After our break, Waites took me small offenses, such as not wearing by the University Department of a hat on duty, are punishable by a Public Safety, where officers on the suspension if they are repeated, campus beat collect reports of crimes Waites said which have occurred on university None of the patrol cars have property. "Most of these are conventional AM/FM radios, which larcenies," Waites said, flipping makes lonely days on the road a through a stack of about six reports. little lonelier. Waites said this rule At 7:00 we stopped at the is the result of a preoccupation with University Hospital's emergency form. He said administrators in the room - there had been a rape. department fear that citizens may hear a radio in a police car. "They say officers are not as attentive if they're listening to the radio, but I THE DAILY think that's a bunch of crap." CLASSIFIEDS Waites thinks the lives of officers ARE A GREAT are too regulated, and that hurts WAY TO GET morale. "You can't head into the WAYTO ET station until they call you. FAST RESULTS Sometimes they have a supervisor CALL 764-0557 following officers around on their beats. It really grates on you because Sthe Aveture --1 WORK AND STUDY IN JAPAN IN 1988 Lansing Community College is again offering students the opportunity to participate in its unique nine-month academic work-study program. Participants live in Japan, attend LCC classes and work aboard the modern sternwheeler, 'Michigan," which is owned by the Biwako-Kisen Steamship Company and offers daily cruises on Japan's Lake Biwa. Students in LCC's Japan Adventure: * study such courses as Japanese language, culture, social system, history and geography, along with a class in U.S.-Japan Management Styles and Strategies. " pay the cost of full-time tuition and fees for four terms. " receive round-trip air travel from Michigan to Japan, room and board for nine months in Japan, uniforms and a stipend provided by Biwako- Kisen. The program begins in January with a two-month orientation at LCC. Early deadline to apply for Japan Adventure 1988 is August 28. For more information, or for an application form, phone LCC at 517/483-1741, or write the Lansing Community College Business and Industry Institute at P.O. Box 40010, Lansing, Michigan 48901. LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF QUALITY 1957-1987 An equal opportunity, affirna acutiona ese.