High Schoolers As Emergency Dispatchers

I heard a story on the news a couple days ago that I still have not decided how I feel about it.  Students from the law enforcement magnet high school are being hired by the Police Department to answer emergency phone calls in Houston.  These are not 911 calls, but calls to the number that is listed on the side of police cars in the city.

On the surface it seems to me that high school kids would be unprepared to handle the stress of such a job as dispatching policemen to emergency situations.  The man in charge of the program, however, says that he has had only one minor glitch in the several months that the program has been going on.  He says the kids are better prepared than some of the folks who are older that he hires off the street.

What do you think?

My Friend’s Grandson

My friend’s grandson is a relief pitcher. He plays the outfield some, but he was not in the line up last night when my wife and I went to see the Bay Area Toros play. The team got beat 8-4, but it was a pleasant night, not too hot, and it reminded me of days gone by when I watched a lot of local baseball. We had a good time.

No Passport Travelers

We just returned from a trip to Dominica. There were 17 on the trip and four of them were among the thousands who did not get their passports before their date of departure, despite applying twelve weeks ahead of time. They printed out the form from the Immigration people stating that they had applied for a passpost and were allowed to travel. As you might expect, it took more time at Immigration Desks and airline counters, and one guy in particular, in Dominica, did not want to accept the paperwork.