It’s snowing.  Several centimeters of the white stuff have coated my neighborhood in the last couple of hours.  When I went outside, I was bundled up against the old, my scarf wrapped around my neck to keep out the harsh wind.  As I cleaned my car windows with my new ice-scraper, I took a moment to [...]

Now that Old Man Winter has settled in for an extended visit, getting your car started and warmed up first thing in the morning can be a bit of a challenge.  Ice covered windows are usually the culprit when it comes to taking the longest to thaw out, and it can be tempting to start [...]

Back in the early 1990’s, the VPD was comprised of two branches of service.  The first and most highly sought after job was the position of a regular constable.  This was, and is, the job of wearing a uniform, going through the police academy, and learning how to shoot a gun, drive a police car, [...]

As everyone gears up for the holiday rush, I beg you to please slow down while driving in parking lots!  I braved a local mall earlier today and was just about mowed down by a woman racing for a prime parking spot.  She was on a cell phone to boot, so I’m not sure she [...]

Different specialty sections within the VPD look for different skill sets in the officers applying to become members of that squad.  Investigative sections look for a strong and proven investigative background, and tactical sections look for excellent operational ability and gun handling skills.  So while a good patrol officer has to excel at being ‘Jacks & [...]