Life Changers

This will be a life-changing month for me and I'm not sure how to process everything that is happening. I will only be working part-time starting in October and I am nursing a wounded knee and two fractures in my leg. The job change, however, has nothing to do with the leg injury. I will still get to do what I love, just with shorter hours.

In many ways, I am excited about spending more time with my family and possibly getting my house straight once I am out of this stinking wheelchair. I never have enough time to do the things I really want to do and now that it is a possibility. I have also joined Thirty-One Gifts as a consultant and am enjoying getting my business started.

Please say a prayer for me as I heal from my injuries and get adjusted to a new life.

Belle

This is my granddog Belle, a beautiful Jack Russell Terrier. She's a sweet little girl, but she gives our dog Marvin a run for his money!

Yellow Jackets Swarm to the Scenes

They swarm quickly to a crime scene in their yellow and black uniforms. Seeing them in action, a citizen in Chisholm gave them the well-deserved name they use today: The Yellow Jackets.

Montgomery’s Bike Patrol, or Yellow Jackets, are a special group of fit and talented officers. The unit has been in place since November of 1979. The City has 42 of these officers on bicycles.

Lt. C.A. Thornton says the use of bicycles instead of cars can make police officers more easily approachable. Bicycles can also be issued to police officers to enhance the mobility and range of foot patrols. The bikes are nearly silent in operation and many criminals do not realize that an approaching person on a bike is actually a police officer. If the criminal attempts to flee on foot, the riding police officer has a speed advantage while able to quickly dismount if necessary.

The bicycles are custom designed for law enforcement use. Many manufacturers of bicycles offer police models and MPD uses bikes manufactured by Trek. Each officer is custom fitted for his bike to ensure it is the proper length.

Officer Leroy Manigault says the Yellow Jackets are also welcomed in the schools. “Our presence makes a difference,” he said. He said the officer’s senses are heightened on a bicycle- he or she can see more, smell more and hear more. The Yellow Jackets are also highly visible at Biscuits Baseball games, along the Riverfront, and different areas of the city. Vehicle break-ins and other crimes of opportunity have been significantly reduced in areas where the Yellow Jackets patrol.

The Yellow Jackets use the Riverfront area for their training exercises. They have a course there and officers wishing to join the unit after serving one year of patrol must train there and pass a certification test. Last week, the department certified six additional bicycle officers.

Corporal Allen Dailey said he was on duty the day two men robbed a pawn shop downtown. Armed with a good description from the pawn shop owner, he and another officer followed the robbers to Trenholm Court and caught them on foot. He said having the bikes to zoom in and out of small places such as alleys was extremely beneficial in helping them make the arrest.

Next time you see a Yellow Jacket, please thank him or her for the work they do to keep Montgomery safe.