Urban Fiction: Living it Out - Day Eleven: The Hunt

I was thinking about just what it is that I like about working the streets. The thought came to me of a National Geographic special, “Big Cats of Africa” or something like that anyway.

One great thinker has describe police officers as the sheep dogs of society and the image does fit, but as I was saying earlier, when I think of myself out there patrolling at night the thought or rather the image of predatory cat is what comes to mind.

I know, I know some of this is definitely ego, but hear me out. I remember watching as the lions all got up and stretched after a long sleep. They seem to come together and discuss the day’s hunt. I see that as a kind of pre-shift briefing.

Then once the business of the day has been decided on, the group moves out in force. Some going this way and others in a slightly different direction, but they all wind up where the zebras and the gazelles are passing along on their way to the watering hole. See where I’m going with this?

Now the vast majority of these, shall we call them prey animals, pass without the slightest hint of molestation. But then the ears of the lion flick and the tails droops down and she hunches low in her stance. She, the huntress –I know the imagery breaks down here again, but we do have some fine female officers on our force--has seen something.

Now in the world of the street cop we would call this establishing P.C. {Probable Cause} or at the very least A.S. {Articulable Suspicion}, but for the cat, she has seen prey. Now once the prey is sighted, the hunter doesn’t just pounce and give chase, but rather a subtle strategy is set in place.

At first this looks almost like casual observance, but then the net is drown smaller and tighter, other hunters are made aware, then when the timing is perfect. The big cats launch into attack mode. The overhead lights come on and we set the patrol cruiser into optimal position to make the stop.

Prey apprehended. But only in this case we don’t eat them. We bag them for delivery for processing…err; take them to the jail so they can go to court.

You have to admit, that although the sheep dog analogy may be a better fit, the predatory cat imagery is just plain cooler...Just saying.