George Jones

Being A Good Samaritan And Witness

Driving on the highways and streets in the Phoenix area can be a stressful experience. People are always in a hurry and often take unnecessary risks in hopes of shaving off a few minutes of travel time. How many times have you been passed by a vehicle that was weaving in and out of traffic just to pull up along side him at the next stop light. He takes off again, driving like a mad man, and again, you pull up beside time at the next light. He didn't save any time, but put the public at great risk. Remember that the next time you are in a hurry and think you have to risk your safety and that of others. It's not worth it.

If you drive long enough in the Phoenix area, you're bound to come upon an accident or actually witness one. What should you do and how can you keep yourself safe?

For most people, they want to run up to the collision scene and start helping. For others, they will just look the other way and drive on by. I never could understand these people and I don't know how they sleep at night.

For those of us who want to help, here are a few things you should do upon arriving at the scene:

1. First and foremost...Call 911! Take a second to look around and figure your exact location. Take a deep breath and talk clearly and slowly to the dispatcher. Nothing is more frustrating to a first responder than being sent to the wrong location.

2. When parking your car, turn on the hazard lights and make sure it is in a safe location. You don't want to become involved in a collision yourself. It will ruin your day.

3. Before exiting your vehicle, assess the scene. Are there electrical lines down; is gasoline spilling from one of the damaged vehicles; did a vehicle hit a telephone pole and could it fall. There are hundreds of possible dangers out there. If it's too dangerous to exit your car, don't! Wait for the first responders to arrive.

4. If you determine it is safe to exit your car, check on the occupants of the involved vehicles. Unless a vehicle is on fire or someone is in the middle of the road, or you are an EMT, nurse or doctor, don't touch any of the injured. But if someone suffered a serious injury, such as an amputation or deep laceration, you may have to administer some form of first aid to stop the bleeding. Tell them you called 911 and help is on the way. Stay with them and keep reassuring them.

5. After the police and fire department arrive, take a moment and gather your thoughts. If you have a pen or pencil, jot down a few notes.

Chances are, one of the police officers will hand you a Witness Form and ask you to write down what you saw and what you did. Don't worry about filling out this form perfectly. Don't worry about spelling or grammar. This form is there to jar your memory if you ever have to testify in court.

Yes...that's right. You may have to testify in court. There is not such thing as an accidental "accident", unless a deer jumps out in front of you or a tree falls on your car. Some form of a violation had to happen for this collision to have occurred. Maybe someone ran a stop light; or were driving too fast for conditions; or were driving while intoxicated. Your testimony can be a crucial part of the case.

When everything is over, take a moment and pat yourself on the back for doing a good job. There's not a better feeling in the world than knowing you helped another person who was in trouble. In fact, that's the reason most first responders do their jobs. It's a good feeling.

SEE THAT POLICE CAR IN YOUR MIRROR?

Have you ever been driving down the road, minding your own business, when you see a patrol car come speeding from behind. That officer is on your bumper and you're really not sure what to do? Did you do something wrong, are you about to be pulled over? Are you wondering what the officer is thinking?

As real estate agents, we put a lot miles on our cars and I'm sure this scenario has happened to most of us at one time or another. Just at the sight of a patrol car, you glance down at your speedometer ; adjust your hands on the steering wheel to the 10 and 2 o'clock position and put your seat belt on if you forgot. These are normal reactions. In fact, that's why police departments have marked patrol cars. They act as a deterrent.

Because of my background, people often vent to me about experiences they've had with the police. One of the biggest complaints I hear is how rude the officer was or how the officer made a big deal out of something as trivial as a license plate light being out. I then try to explain to them how this situation might have looked from the officer's perspective.

The number one goal of all officers is to go home in one piece at the end of their shift. One of the most dangerous things they'll do during this shift is make a traffic stop. They don't know if they're pulling over grandma on her way to the store to pick up a gallon of milk or a guy who just killed someone in a robbery and is driving a stolen car. Many officers have been killed or severely injured when they stopped a vehicle for a small violation and were not prepared. Maybe he was thinking, "I'll stop this guy real quick, pen out a warning and head to the station to finish up some paperwork." Just another "routine" stop. As he's walking up to the car, he's thinking about the argument he had with his wife before he left for work or his son's little league game. Then, when he looks into the car, he's staring at the muzzle of a gun. Good officers don't let themselves fall into this type of complacency. They treat each traffic stop as if they were stopping a potentially dangerous subject. It reduces the chances of them staring down the barrel of a gun.

So the next time you see that patrol car in the rearview mirror, put yourself in the officer's shoes. Nine times out of ten, he's on his way to a call and just wants to get around you. But there's always the chance that he's sizing you up. Don't take it personal if he "lights you up". Just find a safe place to pull over. If you're polite and considerate, the officer will usually act the same way toward you.

Weather you get a traffic ticket or warning, thank him for doing his job. Who knows, he might have saved you life by preventing you from repeating the violation and possibly being in a accident. Because the last thing he wants to do is knock on the door of your loved ones and tell them you were killed in an accident

REAL ESTATE FROM A TROOPER'S POINT OF VIEW

Well...this blogging thing is totally new to me. I've been pondering for the past week on what to write, so today, I'm going to jump in with both feet.

First off, a little about me. I grew up in a small town along the banks of the Allegheny River in northwestern Pennsylvania. And when I say small, I mean small. My high school graduating class totaled 37 students.

After graduation I joined the U.S. Air Force as a law enforcement specialist. It seemed the natural thing to do since I came from a police family. You see my father was a Waterways Patrolman with the Pennsylvania Fish Commission and my grandfather was a retired Pittsburgh Police Officer.

My four year hitch with the military was up on Pearl Harbor Day of 1984, and on Tax Day, 1985, I joined the Pennsylvania State Police. I worked as a patrol officer, undercover officer, criminal investigator and for the last ten years as a Patrol Unit Supervisor. I retired in January of 2007 and moved to sunny Arizona with my family. We live in Surprise, Arizona, which is considered the West Valley of Phoenix.

By April of 2007, I earned my Real Estate License and I've been living on Easy Street ever since...I wish! After six months without having any luck, I joined the Arizona Highway Patrol. I dabbled with the real estate business during this time, but never really made any money. I told people real estate was my expensive hobby. Then in August of 2009, I was introduced to a broker that handles mostly REO listings. After talking with him, I quit my police job and decided to dive head first back into real estate.

I've been doing a few BPO's in hopes of receiving REO listings. That's where I stand as of today. I still work with some Buyers and a few Sellers, but hope the hours I'm putting into the REO side of my business will eventually pay off.

As for my blog...I want to make it something different than what you see everyday on real estate blogs. I want to write from the perspective of a police officer, so I'll be writing mostly about the law and how it may or may not pertain to real estate. I'm sure I'll get long winded sometimes telling some of my stories, but most are entertaining. In fact, people would often ask me why I ever wanted to be a State Trooper and I would tell them it was for the entertainment value. Although we dealt with many tragic incidents, it was balanced with humor and the funny things people do (including my follow troopers). That sense of humor is one of the most important things a police officer can possess. Without it, he will not last long in this career field. Of course, when I tell a story, (like in the Dragnet series), "The names will be changed to protect the innocent." The last thing I want is a phone call from one of my friends.

I hope to make any articles I write both informative and entertaining. And if you see I'm starting to write as if I were typing out a police report, let me know. Old habits die hard.