“Building Partnerships to promote a safer community” is the mission of the Sheriffs Department where I live in Oconee County, South Carolina, AND on the evening of Sunday, July 28, 2019, I called them because I didn’t feel safe anymore. I got scared! #law enforcement#to protect#to serve#thankful!
A few days before, I discovered that I had new neighbor who had just moved in across the hall from me. I learned from the property manager that the new tenant was a single man who had two small kids that would be around on the weekends and that there was no woman living there. Later that day, I was leaving my apartment when I saw a woman holding a small toddler on her hip walking down the stairwell, screaming at the child and yelling that he was “DUMB’ and “STUPID”. Another young boy was standing on the landing yelling “YEAH, HE IS DUMB AND STUPID! I caught the eye of the woman who diverted her glance from me and tried to hide her face beneath a strand of hair. I walked by the small boy who still stood there on the landing, body taut with tension, eyes wide open in alarm. I was filled with concern for these children. My own ptsd got triggered and I went into “freeze” mode. Eventually, I went to the property manager and shared what had happened. #no turning the cheek#children are defenseless#.
Moving forward to the evening of July 28, I finally met the new neighbor. The three plus years of peace and quiet I had enjoyed in the apartment complex was rudely interrupted, when I heard loud angry voices and noise outside my front door. The peep hole revealed that it was a man leaning over the railing watching a dramatic violent video on his phone across the hallway. Assuming, it was the new neighbor and because the noise was after ten o’clock p.m., I opened the door and quietly asked him to reduce the volume. At first, he seemed polite and introduced himself but quickly went into an aggressive stance and mode “are you the woman who reported to the property manager that my dead wife’s sister was abusing my kids?”. I replied “YES, I am”. From that point on , he was blustery defensive, then became hostile and escalating to making threats. #a nastyface#to face#.
He first tries to tell me in several ways that I didn’t hear what I think I heard. (btw – classic tactics by abusers).
- That the kids were making noise because that’s what kids do.
- That the youngest one had unlocked the door and had run out and had to be caught by the woman.
- That it was the property management fault for not having installed a chain on the door
- That what I heard was in Russian.
- He tried to intimidate me by telling me that he had a camera installed and was taping what was going on. I let him know that it was okay by me.
I asked him to please lower his voice and asked why he wasn’t thankful that a neighbor, instead of looking the other way, showed concern for the welfare of his children? He just yelled “Mind your own business. Don’t meddle. Stay our of our lives and I will stay out of yours. You don’t want to mess with me!”. #no more bullies#
I shut the door but felt shaken. I needed to feel safe and protected. I called for assistance and it came with a ten minute response time. I was fortunate because the situation didn’t require more, but the promptness indicated that the service will always try to be as fast as possible. The deputy who served my address that night was a professional. Absolutely! A strong commanding and confident presence. He was not wasteful with words or with time. He was respectful. He suggested and asked if was okay with me if he went to the neighbor and spoke with him. After doing so, he came back and told me what to do and to not hesitate to call again if needed. #grateful#for community policing#.
I was impressed with this service call. So much so, that I visited the Sheriff himself but will gush about that in another blog.#another time to gush#.
It’s been a week and the peace and quiet I have known before has returned. I haven’t heard much at all from that apartment. Except, I sometimes worry about how the children are being silenced because I wasn’t. #silence#is not#always#the answer#.
It was a risk I had to take.
But nothing like the every days risks that law enforcement take. #thankful#appreciation.
"The GushChannel" 