JDLR

There are cops that always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Over time, I learned that it was more about reading people and acting on hunches. The secret: JDLR. Just don’t look right.

Police text books might define it as reasonable suspicion. Not enough to detain or arrest someone, but enough to ask a question or two. My rule, “You can ask for the world, people can say no.”

One of my better JDLR moments happened when I was sitting in an auto repair shop and saw two guys walking up the sidewalk across the street from the business. One man was carrying a shoe box size container in his right hand. He glanced to where I parked my police car and quickly switched the item to his left hand and tried to hide the box using his body. JDLR

I was able to make it across the street and stand on the curb ahead of the men. As they approached I said, “Hey guys, how’s it going?” Without hesitation, the man holding the box handed it to me and said, “It’s not mine, I just found it!” He gave me a brand new ratchet set, still in the box, sealed in shrink wrap.

I started asking a few more questions and the men told me they “found” the tool set next to a dumpster in a nearby parking lot. A block away was a Pep Boys auto parts store. I had the dispatch center call the manager and ask him to walk over to me. He took a look at the ratchet set and told me it was stolen from his business. Now the only way I would be able to arrest these guys for stealing was to get a confession. How to do it?

I asked the store manager, “Do you have a security camera system?”

“Nope.”

“Do you sell video tapes?” (That would be a DVD for those that don’t know about video tape.)

“Yes.”

“Can you do me a favor and bring back a video tape out of the packaging?”

“Sure.”

The manager went back to the store and I interviewed the suspects. I told them that the manager was going to get the security video tape. (This would be the one with nothing on it.)

“Well you have the video tape so there is no reason to lie,” one guy says, “We stole it.”

Two IN CUSTODY!!! Good cops are not just at the right place at the right time, good cops “see” things differently and take action when they do.

Living your faith out daily is like that. There are JDLR moments every day where God calls us to action. We can “see” when people are struggling. It might be a tone of voice, a subtle change in body language or even a feeling you get that something “Just Don’t Look Right.” The key is to act. You can ask for the world, people might say yes.

“Hey, are you all right?”

“Can I buy you something to eat?”

“Can I pray for you?”

You will be amazed at how open people are to respond.

Matthew 25: 35-40, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”