Olympia Copwatch Walk

I was in a crosswalk yesterday - crossing the street - with my baby in my arms - and a Oly police cop, preoccupied with a group of homeless people on the corner, failed to stop for me. I was so flabergasted, I didn't get the car # which bums me out. I stared him down, but he never even noticed me EVER!!

yikes

Submitted by Sarah on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 6:24pm.

Marcie, I encourage you to report this, you have time and location of the car, OPD surely could figure out who this was.

I guess lane positioning

Submitted by JT on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 3:39am.

would be an important question to ask. That would tell us if the officer violated the law.

There are other questions to ask as well, but since the sharks are circling with all the blood in the water, I will refrain.

"RITALIN, so much easier than parenting"

itchyhitch.blogspot.com

hey now :)

Submitted by Sarah on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 5:34am.

I'm no shark. And fortunately there ain't no blood in this water/story.

So true Sarah,

Submitted by JT on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 6:55am.

you are nothing like a shark, so my appologies. I didn't read who was writing what. It just had the flavor of the cop is in the wrong, lets complain. Maybe he was, everyone makes mistakes. I still contend more questions need to be asked before the lynching commences.

"RITALIN, so much easier than parenting"

itchyhitch.blogspot.com

no rope in my hands

Submitted by Sarah on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 11:01am.

My idea was just to encourage Marcie to talk with OPD about what happened, could be that mistakes were made - if so we all live and learn.

I personally don't take a "cop must be wrong" attitude. I know OPD probably tends to hear a wee bit more complaints than kudos, I guess that is part of the job, but certainly doesn't represent all of us. (Have I lectured you enough JT? :-) )

whose lane position - mine

Submitted by Marcie on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 4:48pm.

whose lane position - mine or his? and what would lane positioning have to do with it? i mean, when is it legal to not stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk in relation to the lane position.

The problem I have is that the cop was so concerned with what the homeless people were doing that he didn't even notice the law-abiding citizen in the crosswalk. And the funny thing, those folks weren't even doing anything other than hanging out.

And for the record, I would complain about anyone that blew through a crosswalk under these circumstances, it just happened to compound my frustration that it was a cop. This sharks circles around everyone nondiscrimatingly when it comes to the safety of me and my child.

I think...

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 6:29pm.

He's asking whether or not you were on the other side of the road. If it's a four-lane road and you were in the near lane and he was in the far lane, that's quite a bit different than almost hitting someone.

Whether it's legal or not, I have no idea. But it is quite a bit different than almost being run over.

The topic of crosswalks was discussed at some length,

Submitted by JT on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 7:12pm.

at olyforums. You can read about it there and the links to the laws about crosswalks as well.

Vehicles are required to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks on the side of the street they occupy at the time. So if you are in the crosswalk walking from North to South, the traffic that is Eastbound doesn't have to stop for you until you enter their portion of their lane of travel. Although you may not like that all traffic didn't stop for you, there is no requirement for them to stop for you until you enter their half of the roadway.

As for the officer's preoccupation with some transients, we don't know what drew his attention there. Were they fighting, were they involved in criminal acts of some type? Or were they just hanging out and he recognized one of them as a wanted subject? No one knows, and certainly the safety of you or your child shouldn't be affected by the distraction. But the distraction likely was more than sightseeing.

You call the cop, "stupid", but later suggest that if it was Officer Watkins, the issue might be less important since he exercised discretion with your hubby. Funny how that works. He's a stupid cop that almost killed me and my kid, until we learn he was the cop that chose not to hold our loved one accountable for his law violation and let him go. Now, the injustice is some how not such a big one. I wonder if the officer that slighted you in the crosswalk was the same that wrote you a ticket the week before, would have been as easily forgiven?

"RITALIN, so much easier than parenting"

itchyhitch.blogspot.com

Too Funny!

Submitted by Ehver Green on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 7:24pm.

Maybe you could give a physical demonstration some time soon. The comments about Officer Watkins are pretty comical. Stupid pedestrian. Most of them are.

Nice people can do stupid things

Submitted by Marcie on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 8:25pm.

I'm assuming you mean " Most of us are" and not "them." Unless you don't walk, thus removing yourself from the "pedestrian" group. And yes, I admit I've been a stupid pedestrian at times - I have even gotten "pulled over" for jaywalking downtown. It just so happened that I was WELL within the legal pedestrian guidelines this time.

And, btw, this cop was being stupid. Nice people can do stupid things.

I don't walk much

Submitted by Ehver Green on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 8:34pm.

I don't walk much downtown. I don't go downtown all that often and when I do I park close to my destination. Once the Royal removed the bocce, that was it for me!

But yes, I'm just as guilty of being stupid when it comes to humans vs. cars.

Some likely suspects

Submitted by DrewHendricks on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 11:03pm.

Some assumptions (mine):

You were downtown
It was daytime
It was Monday the 20th October of which you speak

A possible suspect:
Downtown Patrol Officer Jason Watkins,(happens to be the only regular on duty Monday... assuming no one else picked up some hours that day)

I'm not entirely certain which "team" is on duty, so there isn't a good way for me to narrow down the possibilities from those on regular patrols. We do request this data from time to time, but usually long after the fact. Recently we got tipped to October's shift schedule in advance, but we only got two of the three "teams" and I only have the Special Operations reference handy right now.

For future reference you might want this handy dandy sheet:
Olympia Police Supervisors Cellular Numbers

Blue Team
Lt Costa / L4 360-239-1152

Day Shift (6:40AM – 2:20 PM)
Sgt Partin 360-239-3896
Swing Shift (2:40 PM – 10:20 PM)
Sgt Johnson 360-239-1598
Grave Shift (10:40 PM – 6:20 AM)
Sgt Jelcick 360-239-2952

Gold Team
Lt Wilson / L2 360-239-2998

Day Shift (6:40AM – 2:20 PM)
Sgt Wojtech 360-239-0965
Swing Shift (2:40 PM – 10:20 PM)
Sgt Hutchings 360-239-0966
Grave Shift (10:40 PM – 6:20 AM)
Sgt Lower 360-239-1603

Special Operations (Traffic, Walking, K9, School Resource Officers)
Lt Pryde / L1 360-239-1162

(Days and nights on duty vary widely by officer and assignment)
Sgt Heinze F1 360-239-8230

The Olympia Police Department works in three shifts, on three “teams.” The shifts are divisions of the day, called the Day, Swing, and Grave shift(s). The “teams” are divisions of the week, into 5 day on / 4 day off alternating weeks, so that when “blue” team is on, “gold” team is off and vice versa. “Special Operations” is the third team, and works essentially weekdays and Saturdays on Traffic Patrol, Downtown Walking / Bike Patrol, School Resource Officers, Canine (Duane and Conan), and the Cadets.

Each shift has a supervising Sergeant, usually in an SUV (Asset numbers 2040 and 2041) for a total of two patrol Sergeants on duty at any one time. Above these Sergeants in rank is a shift Lieutenant. Above the Lieutenant is a Commander; Tor Bjornstad or Steve Nelson, and above them is Chief Gary Michel.

Wow

Submitted by Marcie on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 4:54pm.

Thanks for that info! That's great! I wish there were pictures of the police officers on-line - I could pick him out of a line up :) ANd yes, your assumptions were all correct. If it was Jason Watkins, then I could forgive him because he was VERY nice to our family when my dorky husband got pulled over and didn't have current tabs or insurance.

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