Regina
My career started with my being a street cop working shifts in 1978 for four years in a wagon with a partner.
I was assigned to a certain area for our patrolling. I was the third class of women on the job. I had scored 98 and
received 10 extra points for being a veteran of the armed services.
I then went to traffic division and worked as a on foot traffic officer.. I then got to go onto
a three wheeler that worked the traffic area in downtown.. wearing the notorious white hat. 1983-1985
In 1986, I got to bid on the motorcycle. There had never been a female on the traffic motorcycles!
I was just in the right place at the right time.. I love to ride, so what other job could make me so happy?
I was friends with some of the guys already, they just didn't know that I rode. I had to prove myself with the old timers..
I must say that I was very intimidated by the fact that the bikes were Harley's. (I did ride my own but it was a Honda gold
wing, but the name HARLEY was just so intimidating.)
One of the guys, Ed Alexander, I confided in and he went with me for my first ride through the windy roads
of a park. Lots of confidence built that day. (I even ended up selling my Honda and bought a Harley dresser- which I
owner four prior to selling my last one for the 24 foot stock trailer.) I love to ride and so I loved my job..getting
paid to do something that you love is awesome!
We rode twelve months a year.. they would put side cars on the bikes in October.. for our safety.
I hated the side car.. would swindle my way to being the last bike to have it put on. I worked very
well with the guys and we had lots of fun.. Even the motorcycle mechanic got into the teasing about my being the
only female on the bike.. I bought a chrome bumper for the side car, and Jimmy put little pink and red hearts all over it.
Of course one of the guys reported it to a boss, so it had to come off. Of course when I was showering and dressing to go
out into the rain and snow sometimes made me question my sanity! We worked the entire city.. school zones, speeding
complaints and traffic control, along with escorts. Court time was also during the day.
I started out as Cycle 41.. then they re arranged the bike numbers and I became Cycle 1. I told the guys
it was because I was the best they had, and they said it was because I was the only Chipette they had! We had a great working
relationship.. I was Cycle until 1994
I wrote many tickets and towed many cars..always treating people with the respect that I wanted to be treated
with. I am very proud to say that I only had one complaint filed against me in the 24 years on the job.. her complaint was
that I didn't hear her and therefore didn't give her directions!
The working people in town would watch as I rode around town with tow trucks behind during rush hour.. I
also loved chasing the speeders on the bike.. and we also got three buick grand nationals for the speed traps.. they
were fast and also fun to drive!
I was trained for the operation of the vascar unit (for speeding) and also did the breathalyzer, later changed
to the Intoxilyzer.. doing the tests for intoxicated drivers.
I then went to accident investigation 1994-1995. We had three teams and worked shifts. One officer
worked the shift and if an accident occurred, you called the rest of the team out. We responded to all fatal and serious injury
accidents in the city of Pgh. Did the photos, measurements and calculations to see who was at fault and if that person had
survived, we charged them with the deaths that had occurred. If I was not working on a case, we were city wide so we would patrol the
city, backing up other officers on calls.
The truck team was part of the accident team and when they restructured and went to one daylight accident
officer, I then went for my inspection license and got onto the truck weight team. We pulled over and weighed and inspected
tractor trailers, and responded to accidents. The tickets we wrote there were really BIG!! If we caught you going over
a bridge with a weight limit.. and you were over that weight.. I almost couldn't fit all the numbers in the little box on
the ticket..1995-1996
1996 I had the chance to go to the dectective division. One of my bosses from traffic had been promoted
and he offered me a position due to my excellent working record. I choose the Crime Unit... they wore uniforms (I had only
some dress clothes for court days) and they were a hands on unit. We worked two shifts am and pm and worked one car units..
I learned about fingerprints and we each had our own equipment to carry as well as our own vehicle to drive. We were
also city wide, meaning that we could go everywhere.
I met David thru a mutual friend in 1997 and since he has a degree in photography, he taught me much about
the art of photography. That really came in handy as our photos were the only thing that could show the scene when the case
went to court.. Sometimes that is years down the road.
I attended many schools regarding the crime unit as I feel the more you know the better job you can do.
1996 - 2000 crime unit
In 2000, David and I were talking about planning to acquire a farm in 2004.. I then found a younger person
that wanted to do a position trade and went back to the street as a one person car in the area called zone 2. That area covered
downtown Pgh, and some surrounding areas. I choose night turn as my shift and WOW, I was the second senior person at the station!!
I had become what I use to laugh about .. an old timer!!
I enjoy the outdoors and people in general, so this was a good assignment for me.. I filled in on wagons
when they were short a person, but worked a one person car most of the time. I did have allot to
learn as the paperwork had
changed very much since I was on the street as a patrol officer.. Sometimes, I would work the desk
as they were short handed.
and it was okay, but I wanted to be outdoors.
We had gotten engaged and found our farm (October 1998) much sooner then our
projected plan of 2004.. David
made the sacrifice and retired first! He retired in April of 1999.
I retired in May of 2001.. and the rest as they say is history!!
