The Phone Call
By Ray Shay
9.9.14
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| Friday Night Lights at DNHS |
I love watching youth sports. I'm always up for just about any sport including baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball or a football game. I especially enjoy Friday Night Lights at Del Norte High School. It is something about seeing the kids turning into adults, the spirit of competition, the dance team, the cheerleaders and of course the parents.
Even if one of our three sons did not attend DNHS, Theresa and I would still probably attend some of the games. The National Football League could learn something from high school football. The problem with the NFL is their football train has way too many stops.
I feel like the minute the train starts rolling we have to stop for commercials courtesy of, "TV timeouts." Honestly, how many beer, car or Viagra commercials can a person watch in a single evening? If I was the National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, I would simply cut the number of commercials in half and double their price. At the end of the day, we would have happier fans, much better football, and the NFL would still make a truckload of money.
Unfortunately, the problem Theresa and I ran into Friday night outside of Del Norte High School had nothing to do with high school football. Sure, most of the fans thought the play calling was questionable and they didn't like getting skunked by our rival Rancho Bernardo High School. But that
is all part of high school sports, take the bad with the good as they say and hope the coach and team learns from it. I feel like the minute the train starts rolling we have to stop for commercials courtesy of, "TV timeouts." Honestly, how many beer, car or Viagra commercials can a person watch in a single evening? If I was the National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, I would simply cut the number of commercials in half and double their price. At the end of the day, we would have happier fans, much better football, and the NFL would still make a truckload of money.
Unfortunately, the problem Theresa and I ran into Friday night outside of Del Norte High School had nothing to do with high school football. Sure, most of the fans thought the play calling was questionable and they didn't like getting skunked by our rival Rancho Bernardo High School. But that
What really ruined our Friday night started as a dark cloud of acrid smoke drifting into DNHS parking lot. It was coming from two adults smoking dope as they sat on the wall of Fairbanks Commons affordable housing, which is located directly across the street from Del Norte High School. 
As we approached the two adults I bit my tongue but the words "Are you kidding me?" leaked out under my breath. Both of the criminals looked at us when I said it.
I knew there were about to be hundreds of high school kids walking past these two geniuses. I slowed my pace and started to confront them and then I made the decision to keep walking.
Something I learned long time ago is that if someone is not in imminent danger and your not on duty, you avoid direct confrontation. Approaching people under the influence of drugs or alcohol has a unique way of very quickly spiraling out of control. You just call the experts. You call the San Diego Police Department or the Sheriff's Department.
Before the phone calls an emails come rolling in, let me make something very clear. This is not a cheap shot at affordable housing. If this would have been BIll Gates multi-million dollar estate home next door to a high school, I would have done exactly the same thing. There should be an atmosphere of zero tolerance for drugs at that location or anywhere near where our kids live, play or attend school.
After giving the two adults a well practiced glare, I escorted Theresa to our car parked nearby. I felt like I was back at work scanning the area for rival drug dealers, or people walking up to buy drugs. All this while I can still hear John Kennedy announcing our athletes battling on the DNHS "Nest" Home Field. I admit it. I was not a happy camper.
I called the SDPD and reported what I had seen with a full description of both persons and asked if the police could please arrive before the game got out. I understand in the big scheme of things that smoking marijuana is way down on the list of crimes in progress.
I also know with modern technology every phone call and every complaint is logged and gives law enforcement officers a tool to combat criminal behavior. My phone call and description gave a police officer the reason they need to walk up and confront the two young men.
I guess my point is a reminder to all of us that if you see criminal behavior just make the phone call. As a beat cop I was often too busy to respond to the call at the time it was broadcast, but it is uncanny how often that description would be used later in the night to confront and arrest countless criminals.
I know your busy, but just make the phone call. You can remain anonymous if you like, but failing to call the police is tacit approval saying that type of criminal behavior is acceptable in our community. We all work too hard to live here.
Take the time to throw the yellow flag in the air and stop the behavior. After all, we love our Friday Night Lights at Del Norte High School and we will be back.
After giving the two adults a well practiced glare, I escorted Theresa to our car parked nearby. I felt like I was back at work scanning the area for rival drug dealers, or people walking up to buy drugs. All this while I can still hear John Kennedy announcing our athletes battling on the DNHS "Nest" Home Field. I admit it. I was not a happy camper.
I called the SDPD and reported what I had seen with a full description of both persons and asked if the police could please arrive before the game got out. I understand in the big scheme of things that smoking marijuana is way down on the list of crimes in progress.
I also know with modern technology every phone call and every complaint is logged and gives law enforcement officers a tool to combat criminal behavior. My phone call and description gave a police officer the reason they need to walk up and confront the two young men.
I guess my point is a reminder to all of us that if you see criminal behavior just make the phone call. As a beat cop I was often too busy to respond to the call at the time it was broadcast, but it is uncanny how often that description would be used later in the night to confront and arrest countless criminals.
I know your busy, but just make the phone call. You can remain anonymous if you like, but failing to call the police is tacit approval saying that type of criminal behavior is acceptable in our community. We all work too hard to live here.
Take the time to throw the yellow flag in the air and stop the behavior. After all, we love our Friday Night Lights at Del Norte High School and we will be back.
Have a great week,
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