Crime Prevention and the D.A.R.E Program auf Deutsch

This past week I went down a floor, both literally and on the excitement level. I went form solving crimes to preventing them with the KK 34. This week my work can be defined by crime prevention and victim protection.

The guys I worked with this week where really cool people. My direct supervisor is also a gear head and loves old cars. He has a VW Micro-bus and an old car that he is restoring. The chief of the Department was really friendly and i was actually shocked that the first thing he said was "Wir kann du sagen" or basically we can speak informally. The rest of the department was just as cool and I got to do a little of everything within them.

Monday I sat in on a court proceeding, it was a little different than in the US. I have to say I didn't understand everything that was said and going on, basically because the judge spoke to fast. Either way I had some prior knowledge of what was going to take place; in Germany there is more of the idea of working with the offender and the victim together. To get them to understand more of the others side (why they did it/ why it hurt them). The kid on trial (approx 16-20) had done something like yelling "hail Hitler" or something to do with Nazis... Anyway the court case wasn't to punish him per-say, it was more to show him why it was wrong. He received a history lesson on the Nazis and what they did, greatly abbreviated but impacting. After the officers returned to the courtroom and he was then asked to explain why he had done it and why it was wrong. Then he had to ask the officers for their forgiveness. The officers also got to give a suggestion for his "punishment."

Tuesday I sat in on some meetings with people from the private sector who had lost their sense of security as we say. They had a friend who's home was burglarized and wanted to see what they could do to secure their home more. It is a free service of the police in Münster to assist in this. The couple got a quote from a private company that was listed on the police website. Then they came to discuss why things where necessary and what they really improved. The room we meet in was really cool it has several smaller cubical set up  that display different door and window locking methods, lighting, and alarms. It was really interesting and I will defiantly be ordering German hardware for my house when I build one.

Wednesday I stepped into the life of a D.A.R.E. Officer. If you where a kid in the 90's chances are you remeber the officer who came and talked to you about drugs, alcohol and bullying once a month.








Well I have heard that this program still exists in the Valley, and that they are still ironically driving that Ford Mustang they got from a drug dealer. Either way when I went through elementary school technology was just coming out. I should have really started this section with an old man voice "When I was young we didn't have all this fancy"new fangled technology...." But moving on we didn't have to talk about data security and online safety to a group of 10 year olds. 97% of this class has a cell phone 65% have a smart phone. So we spoke over things that should and shouldn't be posted, what information you should and shouldn't give. Oh and that the terms and conditions that I know we all read basically have the right to everything on the device, except your immortal sole (I think, i got bored 3/4 of the way through). Of course this brought up NSA scandals and thankfully the student didn't think to ask the american his opinion.

Thursday was by far the hardest day of work for me and my supervisor. We spent the whole day in the car and mud, with a pair of binoculars to catch a glimpse of the far out things. Honestly I think he needed a day in the Freshe Luft so used me as an excuse, but hey I was fine with it.

Apperently this is a very rare bird in Germany and
I saw 2 in one day my first time bird watching. 

 Friday It was back to the grind, we had another D.A.R.E. presentation at the school over alcohol and underage drinking. Carnival is a huge celebration coming up and every year over 300 underage children are hospitalized for alcohol poisoning in Münster alone. So now every year they do a huge alcohol unit in the schools before Carnival.

Oh and apparently it was valentines day, I only noticed because of how mussy Facebook was. I have to say this is one holiday I could live without when I get back. I may just add it to the "lists of things I don't do because I'm a German." Honestly it is just a huge corporate holiday set out to have people spend money between Christmas and Easter. However I'd like to try to explain that to any of my future relationships and their friends.... Ill just stick to buying a card and flowers.

Saturday I headed up to Hamburg with Josh for the "Miniature Wonderland." There isn't much to describe so I'll give you a picture of the facts sheets.

Basically it is the largest most detailed train set in the world. Unfortunately my camera died part way through and I'm waiting to get the rest from Josh before they are posted to Facebook, but here are some of them.

The first room was 1 Meter squares depicting German History
And also a section devoted to showing a city block as stereotyped
by each German Political party

The actual exhibit this is switzerland

every half an hour the set goes through a night cycle

there are hidden treasures in the scenes like this toilet paper mummy. 

For the official video in English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACkmg3Y64_s

This week I'll be working in the CSI department and I have already had an amazing first day, im really hopeful that they will ask me to stay for the next few months. 

Well now I'm off to make a picture presentation for Friday, I'm the guest speaker for the International Committee at BRCC at their monthly meeting, I have so many photos to flip through.....

Until next week,

Cody A Glick