Chapter: THREE Pest Control

, local animal control officer has taken to politics and soon discovers how serious his hometown folk can be when intrigue settles on his Rural City and all the inhabitants. Scupture by Christa Judge.

             

 

              Terrence the pest guy, I guess it has become the norm to regard animals as pests. Animals have no regard for personal belongings. Leave a couple of wildlife in your house unsupervised for an hour or so, you'll see what I mean. I'm still a country boy, at heart. all be it that I live in the sub-urban developments, I still take the time to engage with my natural environment. I have a great job with the city, I'm an Animal control officer. Everyday I respond to no less than thirty calls for during the business hours alone. Recently the City counsel has placed my department in the jurisdiction of law enforcement. so, I cant go out on night calls or it would be more like fifty or a hundred. Big song and dance about policy and budget. I did get a county truck as compensation, The chiefs old Chevy Blazer, still included decals and light rack, kind of cool for a humble servant to the public. I'm warned not to use the truck for any personal use, so I don't. That means I still have to respond to evening and late night emergencies in my own vehicle. On my own time. I have to use my own income to respond to any Animal related rescues. I call them rescues rather than events, its been my experience that its usually the animal the needs to be rescued. I cant imagine why people are not more fond toward our furrier kind. So when the little hand reaches five o'clock, you'll have to reach me by way of my personal number.

 

     Every great city has to have a colorful counsel.  Montgomery, is no different. We boast a progressive young Mayor Billy W. Brian. Deputy Asst. Carlos Boyer, Very long time resident. There are a couple of city attorneys and a fiduciary accountant, naturally trustees Anne Ingrid, and Idah Jones.  Role call of the city counsel at city hall, Of course the police chief is rarely present to the meeting at city hall, Since the effort to consolidate all aspects of local security, ie* animal control is a P.D responsibility it is I Terry peach, who presides over the chair for the chief, and this is really how the whole situation work into itself.

 

  City Counsel meeting a scheduled for every other Thursdays, it was my responsibility to sit in on the proceeding and if anything of importance was to come up I would then notify the Chief . Although some of the most interesting discussion take place during the meeting it is rarely notable enough to warrant the Chief's attention, all the real action takes place in between the scheduled times open to the public. Yet, all the legislation for the city is written here, code enforcement, municipal law, Budget review, and of course City Hall Politics, Do we know, the shadows of city hall put us all in the dark. Meanwhile does anyone know we really exist?

 

  Anyone attending the city counsel meetings has the opportunity to witness local government in action. All the motions held or withheld, all votes count and recounted. Resolution passed momorandums written and passed about the life cycle of organized democracy...  Sure enough we use names like constituates,or the voting public and I believe  the mayor, absolutely got his votes, the Sheriff and the Chief too, all properly elected to their respective posts. As an outsider looking in ,who would  known what astonishing events take place everyday. While mostly everything is done by the book I cant help but feel as though a smoke screen is being evolved to develop the real behind the scenes policy. This months big press release and code enforcement, The fluoridation of the city water supply will continue, even after the big protest. We all know what it means, and yet, despite the publics contrary opinion that fluoridation in the drinking water is healthy, The vote was cast and the counsel unanimously voted to reject any change in this policy. In fact rejecting the publics wishes. Its corruption, but why should anyone oppose the system already in place, over such a trivial thing as our drinking water.

 

 One of my first encounters with this part of the system, was when I was first assigned the duty and office of Animal control officer for the City of Montgomery, I had just graduated from State university with a degree in Environmental science. All my life I had this dream of becoming a forest ranger, but even with a degree I don't qualify for the post. Its serious business training to become a forest ranger, a lot have suggested I attend police academy... I considered it, until the opening for Animal control was put in the paper . and there I was, drinking coffee, when it dawned on me. Why not...The next day I applied at the town hall. That was three years ago, I'd had never thought how important the role is in modern society. What with all the large animals and health risks to the public at large. I felt like a hero, literally saving cats from trees for a living, a real life grown up boy-scout. 

 

  It wasn't long before the Chief got the idea to draw up some changes, First was to subdue the independence of the Animal Control office. The district attorney signed off on the idea, My office was moved from city hall, to become a desk in the corner of the Police Department. Soon fallowed, my vouchers and then the county truck. ALl becoming the business of the Chief, not that it was a problem during the transition. I felt a little slighted. Ironic how during these transitional periods, I lost control over the increased budget for, the Office Animal Control, Everything now fell under Municipality funds for policing the public on large. Big Federal grants, had been received and the counsel reported this to the  newspapers, this is when the Chief would pull me from my corner for a photo op. The big Chief shaking my hand beneath the banner of praise for the cooperative movement to unit the two, Animal Control and Police Department. Restoring freedom to the police, already tied up with crime in the streets. The responsibility now fell on the, New fancy uniform and  tin badge that says Animal Control Officer. Otherwise, Nothing changed. I still responded to Animal Control Events, such as Cruelty, Trappings, injuries, rescues and occasionally some local criminal would have a pit bull or two. I that event I would arrive with the Police and take part in Drug raids, or parole violators, sometimes a domestic goes really bad and the pets must be removed from the home.

 

   If you asked me, Do I enjoy what I do for a living, I'd have to reply absolutely, I feel useful and fill my capacity. I've grown up so much over the years, and am proud of my position.  I would framed  the best columns I could find in a local newspaper, and hang them on my wall. like  with all those pictures of me, dressed up to impress, and a columns that read " Terrence Peach, duly sworn in as Animal Control Officer before the whole city counsel. I'd enjoy the visual reference to my personal accolades and accomplishments as Montgomery's Animal Control Officer.. Which reminds me, Incidently, this series of events was around the same time that I began to attend the bi weekly city counsel meetings at City Hall. I got the honorary image, associated with the Police Department, and had one person to report to. The Chief himself, wasn't a bad thing, I do have the priviledge of sitting in for the Chief during most press releases and nearly every public function. Only problem I don't think  the Chief really is interested in Animal Control. Even now I've begun to realize, The Chief might be grooming me for another post entirely.

                                                    II

   " It was however not long ago that an entirely different sort of politics had been used in order that the city was conducted  well, and fortunaely for the folk of Montgomory, NY not much had changed since then.  It wasn't the first like Terry who needed to find good positions in productive lives, there had to be hundreds of jobless in the City alone not including the Counties and their Districts. Thats why its important that those like myself, the Cheif, Volunteer and full time emergency responders need to retain our current positions, There must maintain the sense of order to these youths. Joblessness is carried on from generations of disfunction amonst the families, and I've seen enough of it."

     The Cheif was really railing on about this stuff I thought, but what is amusing is it started over the price of his stationary. Something like, the Office billed his account the difference on personalized office supplies. Regulations have come down pretty hard on the adiquite funding for municipalities.  and since emblasened Name set doesnt fall under personel requirments the Cheif is taking it hard. 

   THe phone Rang at the dispatchers desk, and she picked it up" Montgomory P.D" she answered sweetly, "O'yes one moment please." placing her hand over the receiver end of the phone answered for the Cheif,  "Cheif?... Animal control.!" The Cheif motioned to me, already alerted, to answer the call. I picked up on the line. " Animal Control," I stated, a moment passed, " Yea'ello I called for the Pest control... they said I had to call you people at the police department." I was listeneing to what the man was saying, but I couln't help overhearing the giggling going on on the other extension in the dispatchers office, I lifted my head over the divider, she spotted me and promptly hung up. " Excuse me sir, I dont mean to cut you off. but " I had interrupted "could you give me the location of the event?" I finished, then shortly the voice resonded, " "sure its 998 elms street." ..."Thank you I'll respond shortly to investigate. please keep away from the animal..! do not attempt to forcably remove the wildlife without authorized supervision. Like myself, Is that understood" I finally asked.. and a moment later  the voice resonded " Yes'sir" and hung up. I hung up too. and all hell broke loose!

   The other officers began to uproar, celebrating my call to duty. It was always geerful, and humiliating the same." One was clever today I heard the Sarge say " To the beast mobile,beast man " and the Office all laughed at that one. I admit I did too.