Bangor, Maine Police Department unpdate

Tim Cotton, Bangor Police Department -Sure, you can read the entire job description of a Public Safety Dispatcher just below my scribblings. Or, you can read this, and while killing time, you can think about the wonderful benefits of a really great, but difficult, job.

I believe in building rapport with people before hitting them up with difficult questions.

I have asked difficult questions, one of my favorites is- "Did you kill that man?"

Now, you might have never had to ask that question, but as a dispatcher there might be a moment when it is a valid job strategy.

I have asked it many times and have had some pretty interesting answers; on more than one occasion the person I was talking to said, "Yes!"

Where do you go from there? You don't ask them if they like Hamburger Helper (Beef Stroganoff edition). You inquire about further details.

For the record, the stuff isn't that bad and it only cost me $1.98 and a pound of freezer-burned hamburger I found under a quarter box of ice cream sandwiches. True story.

You might have to do strange things as a Public Safety Dispatcher. The job might necessitate you to ask questions, or make statements, like those I have listed below:

1. Where are you right now?
2. Where did you put the knife?
3. Do you know CPR?
4. Why did you light that fire?
5. Put the gun down and please walk to the door with your hands in the air.
6. Before you lost your pants, were you in your car?
7. If you call 911 again without the need for our services, we will be sending a police officer over to arrest you. We don't care if the guppy had babies.