Spoke to an old partner

Since I recently retired, I haven't had time to get nostalgic about the job. I loved being a cop. I really loved being a Detective. Where else in the world can you get to do good deeds every day and get paid for it? I worked for the NYPD, the greatest Police Department in the world. Truly. I worked with amazing guys and for "interesting" bosses. We would run from one job to another without missing a beat. After tusseling with one guy who just beat his wife, we go to the next job which is an old lady who can't get off the floor. We help her up, talk to her and make sure she's okay. Then off we go to the report of a robbery. The slow days were a nice reprieve. It gave the opportunity to look around and be aware of the neighborhood's rhythm, to talk to the folks who were going to and fro. The kids were sweet. They looked at me so shyly. When I first went on the job, there wasn't many female police officers. I loved talking to them and smiling at them to put them at ease. I would get down to their level and just let them look at my equipment and ask questions.
For those not familiar with New York City -- hello -- anyone?? lol .. We see it on TV, in movies and hear about it. It's the venue for the biggest and best parades for every type of ethnicity. As the police, we get a front row seat. For an 11:00 parade, we'll be there at 6:00 in the morning, setting up barriers and getting our assignments. Alot of planning goes into it to control the crowds and create passageways for pedestrians and vehicles. NYC doesn't miss a beat, even with 30 blocks closed and packed with thousands of people. I marvel at it since I can't even get a summer bbq to move along smoothly. The dancers and floats are so cool to look at but the music generally makes it rock.
After everyone has gone home and our feet are screaming, whether it be 100 degrees or 20 degrees, we wait until Sanitation comes through, breaking down the barriers and clearing the area. Within hours, the street is reopened and the traffic flows freely or as freely as it can in this place. I haven't always been happy to be there but I've always enjoyed it anyway. It's a must do if you come to NY.