March to April 2023

Fifth District Commander

Not long after I got comfortable as Captain of the Night, something went down with the captain of the Fifth District that required a sudden… relocation. I was talking to Julie about it, laughing at the idea of getting reassigned, and at the same time texting a few friends that it would be hilarious if they made me take it. Right then—like the universe was reading my texts—my phone rang.

Chief Ganthier. Once again, he struggled to find the words. (We really ought to stop putting this man in charge of difficult conversations.) He told me I was the only "spare" captain at the moment. And since I had already run a district before—and had the scars to prove it—I was being reassigned to cover the Fifth. Just temporarily, of course. Totally temporary. (insert exaggerated wink) Meanwhile, the “essential” Night Watch Captain position went completely unfilled. (Cue the slow, dramatic eyeroll.)

Back to MAX Hell Back to the grind:

•Weekly MAX meetings
• Community meetings
• District crime spikes
• Personnel drama
• Fleet problems
• The full nine yards

The good news? I had a great team in the Fifth. And I knew this wasn’t permanent. I took the assignment in stride, mostly because if you don’t, the job will eat you alive. But I’ll be honest: it felt a little like being the substitute teacher who accidentally wins the kids over—then gets told to hand the class back.

Six Weeks Later When the temp tour was over, the officers were begging me to stay. I hate even writing that. I’d rather be tased than sound like I’m bragging—but it meant a lot. I appreciated it deeply. It reminded me that all the small stuff—the late-night chats, the showing up, the jokes, the dumb memes, the listening—that’s the stuff that counts. Then it was back to the shadows.

Mid-April to early June: A brief return to the Night. And a reminder that, for better or worse, they always know where to find me.