MAY 2023 - Blues Vol 39 No. 5

Ghost Patrol: The

Ghost Patrol: The scariest things cops have seen on the beat. Part 2 By Police1 Staff Most cops will tell you they’ve seen it all. It’s the nature of the job to be exposed to virtually everything America has to offer – from the weird to the hilarious to the disturbing. But what about the paranormal? We asked our audience to share the scariest, strangest, or most unexplained thing they’ve seen in their career, and their stories were downright spooky. Check out our roundup of the best responses, and if you think you can top these, share your story with us bluespdmag@ gmail.com. HERE IS PART 2 ALL ALONE I was the Sgt working overtime graveyard at a now-demolished substation. It was my lunch break and I heard someone open the door at the other end of the building and heard footsteps. I had the light off in my office because the hall lights more than lit it up. I saw someone in the door and when I turned to look, it was a shadow figure standing in the doorway as if to say “Hi Sgt!” It wasn’t something I saw out of the corner of my eye and it was there for a couple of seconds and then went on towards the lieutenant’s office. Later when I asked the guys if they have ever experienced anything strange at the substation, they responded “that’s why we don’t come back until the sun comes up.” I found out about other experiences that others had and it was similar...I’m still a skeptic, but I can’t explain what I saw. — Paul Jacobs GOOD CONVERSATION I was working at our jail and while doing my watch tour I was heading into medical and heard two people having a conversation and thought it was two inmates in a cell talking. I went to the first cell and there were no names on the door so I didn’t look in. I went to the next door and it had one name on it. I opened the hatch to look in and there was a guy in there. I didn’t say anything at first to him but as I was closing his hatch, he asked me if I could move his neighbors over because he was alone and would like some company. I then went over to the previous door and checked in the window just in case someone didn’t put the names on the door. I looked in and nobody was in the cell. I went back to the guy in the other cell and asked him if he had heard people talking and he stated yes they had been talking a lot. I informed him that there was nobody next door and got out of there. — Scott Rowlison THE BOY ON THE BENCH Worked security in a med center after retirement. Opened the place one morning at 0500. As I passed an alcove, for an instant saw a boy about 9 years old, brown hair, striped shirt sitting on a bench and then he was gone. Anyway out of embarrassment, I never told a soul about it. I had eight retired detectives working for me and one day I was having a conversation with one of them. Very sheepishly he asked me if I ever saw anything strange in the place when I opened in the morning. When I asked him why, he said that he saw a young boy wearing a striped shirt sitting on a bench and then he was gone. The same location where I saw the kid. Other things that happened were coffee pots being knocked over and footsteps late at night when closing. Later found out that the med center was located adjacent to the most haunted cemetery on Staten Island. — Buddy Smith RURAL ENCOUNTER I work on county roads and I had a Signal 100 at 03:00 and my closest bathroom was 30 minutes out. So, I pulled down a dark gravel road and started my business. I felt like someone was watching me. Looking toward the rear of my unit and approximately 20 feet beyond my rear bumper I saw a shadowy figure standing there. I stop and zip up (not finished) and yell out to what I thought was a person. I got no reply from the figure. I start to apologize to the figure – thinking this was the landowner coming to see who was peeing on their driveway – but no response. I then go into tac mode and demand them to show their hands and identify themselves. But no answer. I finally get smart and use my light to see who it was and as light passes over the area the figure was gone. Keep in mind this conversation was about 20 seconds long and I just saw something there. I look around and I hear no running through the brush. I turn to get make into my unit and I take one more look back and see a shadowy figure move towards me from where I last saw it. Needless to say, I got in my unit and sped off 94 The BLUES The BLUES 95 94 The BLUES The BLUES 95