The men and women who hurried through the lobby were slender and fit and dressed in starched brown uniforms. No rubbery bellies or aimless loitering. An informational brochure in the newly carpeted lobby informed visitors that public safety and emergency response on Palmetto Island were handled through a contract with the Savannah Police Department. A framed picture on the wall showed a staff of seven uniformed men and women. Officer McDonald stood in the middle of the front row. Behind the sliding glass door a woman spoke into a headset. She called codes for various types of emergencies. I waited while she jotted some words and numbers onto a notepad. Television and movies have distorted our view of detective work. I know this because of my work with the Crime Watchers and the scores of interviews we’ve conducted with real men and women of the law. Less than 10 percent of investigative police work involves the examination of bodies, fingerprints, and blood. Most detectives spend their days filtering through seemingly trivial facts, chasing down leads through minor traffic violations, researching stupid complaints made by John and Jane Doe, and interviewing uncooperative witnesses who don’t have a clue (and don’t care) what real law enforcement officers do.
