Last month I talked a bit about how important it is for the police, and the community they serve, to communicate with each other. Some of that has been going on. As a result of requests for information submitted to us, the Gustine Police Department began last week publishing weekly statistics so that you can start to get some idea of the activity level we encounter here. The numbers we’ll publish will run from Monday to Monday , and include the numbers of logged citizen contacts (whether these be calls for service or officer-initiated contacts), the numbers of arrests that are made (including both those that result in someone going to jail and those cited out for a later court appearance), and the numbers of calls that are of sufficient gravity for a report to be written. In some cases we can talk a bit about some of the items on which reports were taken, and in other cases the information is sensitive (as with juvenile involvement or on-going investigations).

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Have you ever been to a party, stood in the corner of the room and perused all the self-flattering chatter going on by those with big heads?  It always amuses me that in every group there is usually a handful of guests with big heads.  Well our 10-day fair is no different. There will most definitely be big heads amongst the crowd—one head is 7’x6’ in size!

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Recently, while at a local drug store, I was approached by a senior citizen. She introduced herself and proudly told me she has lived in Newman for more than fifty years. As she talked the pride slowly gave way to concern. She told me she had raised her children in Newman without any concerns. Her children rode their bicycles all over town without ever a worry for their safety. She never locked her doors and often left her windows open at night. Through the years and with changing time she began locking her doors even when she is home and closing her windows at night. Within the last few years, she installed a fence around her front yard. She now locks the gate to the fence at all times. Her disappointment caused me great concern.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like fair time, everywhere I go. Though the community has already been quite involved, the fairgrounds have not seemed as alive as they are this week. Tents are now up and exhibit cases are beginning to fill. The grounds are starting to look more like the fair that I know so well, and love, rather than a 72-acre field. The walking paths are beginning to line with concession stands and a few carnival rides are going up and awaiting final inspection.

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