CSI Jerusalem

Did I ever tell you that I once spent a night in the backseat of various police cars?

If you live in New York City, you can apply for a "civilian ride-along" with the NYPD. You get 3 hours in the back of the car, going along with the officers on their calls, watching them work. There are, of course, lots of rules about what you are and aren't allowed to do; the officers can drop you off at a station or some other safe place any time at their discretion, etc.

Anyhow, I was required to do a ride-along for one of my graduate Journalism courses, and discovered that being a police officer involves a lot of boredom, punctuated by occasional mild drama. My 3 hours turned into 8 because, after responding to a call, the officers have to go back to the station to fill out paperwork, so they'd hand me off from car to car to make it more exciting for me.

I was at the scene of a murder! And do you know, murders are nothing like in CSI. First of all, the investigators are not necessarily so young and good-looking. Second, everything moves slower and there's a lot of waiting involved. And most important, there is no soundtrack. In real-life, for non-family members, it's pretty ho-hum.

Anyway, this is all a long way of getting 'round to the fact that last night someone broke into my apartment and stole my roommate's 2 computers. It appears that someone who had our key came in, took the computers, and walked right out again, ignoring the jewelry, the television, the DVD player. Thank God, my own computer was with me, at my teaching job. And also, thank God, Liza had recently backed up all her files! And also, thank God, no one was hurt in any way. Artemis saw everything that happened but can't tell us who done it.

Three police officers came over the course of last night and this morning -- a first responder, an investigator, and a fingerprint lifter -- demonstrating an important difference between New York and Jerusalem: all three were young and hot. Three for three. Two men -- hot hot hot -- and a woman who I think I'd find attractive if I were attracted to women. Also, the first one was not only hot, he was wearing a kippah. And when I wished the woman "mazal tov" because she was wearing an engagement ring, she said "thank you, soon by you," and it was the first time I was thrilled to hear it. Young, hot, Jewish police officers. I love this country!