Suburban Police -- An Oxymoron?

Well, it looks like there's a hostage situation brewing about five miles from me. Here's the problem:  this is the suburbs. We're not used to crime committed by criminals. Usually we have to worry more about the cops -- at least I do.

Speaking of which -- I guess they called in a SWAT team to evacuate an Extended Stay Suites hotel. I heard they even brought in a sniper who is preparing to take out some disgruntled sales rep who didn't get his extra towels soon enough.

I don't want to accuse the news folks of not getting their stories straight, but, frankly, it's not really clear right now what's happening. There's a news helicopter circling around the scene giving us shots of people standing around, but that's about it.  Somebody found a car near a retention pond with a note inside that some guy was holed up in a hotel room with a gun. Aren't most people holed up in their hotel rooms with a gun? Oh, wait that's in the movies.

Meanwhile, I can understand SWAT teams in the city, but how do SWAT teams practice in the 'burbs? By charging into the homes of women over sixty?

After the success of the recent well being check at my place, I can only assume that local law enforcement now feels emboldened to take out bigger fish, like innocent bystanders and people who live in corporate hotels.

They're interviewing the commander in the town where the hostage situation, which may not have a hostage, is taking place. He's using words and phrases like "perimeter" and "we have not made contact" and "we're treating this as a barricaded subject"  Apparently, there was a note on the door of the room, not in the car, saying the occupant had a weapon.

Sometimes maid service ignores those DO NOT DISTURB signs and you have to be firm with them.

I guess they found the car by the pond, which is by the hotel, did a license plate check, found the guy at the hotel, looked up his room, saw the note on the door, and called the SWAT boys. Sounds like someone was going to commit suicide and chickened out. Now he's hoping the cops will do it for him. You watch a little Law and Order you pick these things up.

In the city, this would not makenews. It's only news because it's happening in the suburbs and people are curious about how the cops are going to deal with something that isn't traffic related.

They could ask me. Maybe I should drive over there and get interviewed.