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Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you鈥� Well, not quite. More like, 鈥渘aughty students, naughty students鈥︹�� but that鈥檚 not even remotely catchy.

There are at least three officers on the beat through the fall. (Nick Pearce Photo)

On the night of September 17, a Dalnews photographer and reporter 鈥� me 鈥� went on a ride along with Halifax Regional Police Constables Mark Long and Peter Adamski during Operation Fallback, a dedicated patrol of the university area. Fallback operates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in September and is organized by Const. Long, community liaison officer.

The following is my account of the evening, a 鈥渜uiet鈥� Thursday night patrol in Halifax鈥檚 south-end university district.

9:30 p.m.
The constables pick us up in the Dal parking lot where we sign waiver forms. 鈥淚f we ask for your assistance you can decline,鈥� says Const. Long. 鈥淏ut we won鈥檛 ask you to stand in the line of fire,鈥� he adds, seemingly to reassure my sheepish colleague.

We embark. The officers explain how this Operation Fallback鈥� operates. Four officers patrol the university area, mostly surrounded by Oxford, Jubilee, Robie and Inglis streets 鈥� two officers in a cruiser, one on a bicycle and one in an unmarked car. Their primary functions? Liquor compliance, noise complaints and transferring suspects to booking.

Don鈥檛 breathe easy yet lawbreakers. They鈥檒l still perform any and all police duties if necessary.听

This year, they鈥檙e getting the word out on the street early that breaking the law will cost you. 鈥淚f we do more enforcement early in the year, we can nip the problems in the bud,鈥� says Const. Long. I guess these guys mean business. So much for my ideas of a Superbad ride along.

This is no covert operation though. Const. Long is a nice guy, a real life Buzz Lightyear, and he鈥檇 rather not have to write any tickets. He wants to educate students before they end up in that situation and has spoken to frosh, returning students, international students and RAs at Dal and SMU.

9:59 p.m.

听It's an offence to walk around with open liquor. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Our first incident. Const. Currie, patrolling the area by bicycle, is with students on the sidewalk and we stop to assist him. He鈥檚 writing a violation against an underage female student, a glass of wine in hand, but this is no social gathering.

鈥淎 common misconception is that you can transport liquor in something like a travel mug across the city,鈥� says Const. Long.

No dice. That鈥檚 still open liquor under the law. In fact, liquor can only be carried in its original sealed packaging. Take note, hooligans.

After the students have left, another student, a resident of the house we happened to be standing in front of, returns home:

鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on?鈥� he asks.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been waiting for you,鈥� responds Const. Long.

鈥淲hat?! What鈥檚 wrong, what did I do?鈥� says the startled student.

鈥淚鈥檓 only joking,鈥� says Const. Long, humour not lost on the student.

Back in the cruiser, Const. Long says students have been cooperative this year when dealing with police and that鈥檚 easier on everyone.

10:18 p.m.

"You're the cop from the calendar!" Above, Mark Long shot in the Dal-distributed calendar. (Nick Pearce Photo)

We鈥檙e sent to investigate a noise complaint from an anonymous caller. Music can be heard across the street, what the law calls, 鈥榚ngaging in activity that unreasonably disturbs the neighbourhood.鈥�

After knocking on the door for several minutes, the tenants finally appear. Const. Long informs them of the complaint, the noise bylaw and meticulously explains the situation. As there are no previous complaints to the residence, they鈥檒l be given a warning.

They should consider themselves lucky. But the house is now in the system and new complaints will result in fines.

Const. Long is interrupted. 鈥淚 know you! You鈥檙e the cop from the calendar,鈥� exclaims one of the students. He鈥檚 referring to Const. Long鈥檚 September picture in the Dalhousie Community Calendar. To his minor celebrity status, Const. Long delivers some modest laughter and the students agree to pipe down and we鈥檙e on our way.

10:35 p.m.
As Const. Adamski fills out the report, there鈥檚 another noise complaint for 鈥淭riple Charlie鈥濃�攖hat鈥檚 us. We arrive to the indistinguishable sound and feeling of excessive bass鈥� or is that my heart?

Nope. Music, it can be heard blocks away.

The officers check for prior complaints on the house 鈥� none. Handling the situation the same way as the first house, the officers diffuse the situation. Like the first house, another star-struck tenant recognizes Const. Long from the calendar.

10:54 p.m.
Another noise complaint. A Fallback constable is already present, has shut down the party and is waiting for the tenants to present identification. About 20 students are on the lawn, some still unaware the police mean business. Ha! That soon changes.

Excited by the presence of the now-famous Const. Long and the internationally renowned Dalnews, the students begin to get rowdy until they鈥檙e informed the constables don't mind filling out tickets for all of them. Like Stephen Harper from a family photo, they quickly disappear.

The female residents eventually present their IDs and receive warnings.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know all of the people who showed up,鈥� they say. 鈥淭hey wouldn鈥檛 leave.鈥�

鈥淚f people won't leave, call us and we鈥檒l come,鈥� says the constable. 鈥淥therwise it's on the tenants.鈥�

I rewind a bit. While lost on me during the commotion I recall that even with a crowd of people, the constables are unfazed, remaining professional, quickly making it clear they鈥檙e not here to play games 鈥� message received.
听
11:19 p.m.
What kind of a police story would be without it? A quick stop at Tim Horton's for a coffee. I can鈥檛 help but take the obvious jab. 鈥淭his will be the highlight of the story,鈥� I say. 鈥淲hat everyone is hoping to see,鈥� which gets a laugh from both officers. I鈥檝e drawn a laugh from law enforcement officers. Correction 鈥� this is the highlight of the story.

11:24 p.m.
Like the sugar in our coffee, the humour quickly dissolves as we鈥檙e off to Waterloo Street. Const. Currie has requested our 鈥榩addy wagon鈥� to transfer a student to booking.

After screaming like a banshee in the street, ignoring various warnings and arguing and shouting vulgarities at Const. Currie, he鈥檚 arrested for public intoxication. As Const. Long escorts the suspect to the van, his friend begins to scream obscenities at the officers.

You got your wish pal, a one-way ride with your buddy to the drunk tank.

I realize there is probably no line the officers haven鈥檛 heard as the suspect tells Const. Long his father is a lawyer. 鈥淚 know,鈥� responds Const. Long, 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 father is a lawyer.鈥� Well played.

We escort the gentlemen to the detachment where they鈥檙e handed over for booking. 鈥淏ook 鈥榚m!鈥� Ha! I鈥檝e always wanted to say that.

11:51 p.m.

The officers attend to a young man who's had too much to drink. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Const. Currie is attending to a male student, passed out on a Cedar Street sidewalk. Lucky for him, a passing dog, out for a stroll with its owner, sniffed him out 鈥� undoubtedly his best friend tonight.

When the paramedics arrive, the young man, unsure of where he is, attempts to explain he鈥檚 trying to get back to campus, which I note is in the opposite direction. Paramedics assist him to the ambulance and take him for examination.

I鈥檓 told that if necessary they鈥檒l put someone in the drunk tank overnight for their own safety. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about keeping everyone safe,鈥� says Const. Long. Amen to that.

12:50 a.m.

It's not OK, even in Ontario, to hang your arms and legs out of a moving vehicle. (Nick Pearce Photo)

We鈥檙e stopped at a鈥� stop sign. A taxi motors by with passengers hanging their heads and arms out the windows. 鈥淩eal clever,鈥� I think to myself. On come the sirens and the cab quickly pulls over.

You鈥檒l be walking the rest of the way,鈥� Const. Long tells the passengers.

They must think he was born yesterday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to do it in Ontario,鈥� they exclaim 鈥淥f course it is,鈥� replies Const. Long.

Jokes on them. Const. Long assures them it鈥檚 against the law across the country.

1:21 a.m.
We spot a female student walking home alone and pull over to ask her if she鈥檚 OK. She responds impatiently saying she鈥檚 fine and lives nearby. We coast along with her and Const. Long advises people shouldn鈥檛 walk alone late at night for safety reasons, especially with the 鈥渟leepwatcher鈥� still at large.

She stops and turns on dime, hands on her hips. 鈥淒o you know how strong I am? I鈥檒l beat up the sleepwatcher and bring him to you.鈥� I鈥檓 inclined to believe her. Const. Long says he doesn鈥檛 want it to come to that, asks her to be careful and wishes her a good evening as she arrives home.

1:43 a.m.

Tickets for open liquor or under-aged drinking will set you back $452, and that's for a first offence. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Almost quitting time, almost鈥�

Const. Adamski 鈥� his superhero name would suitably be Eagle Eye 鈥� spots a student carrying an open case of beer. We pull up. Foolishly, he comes toward the cruiser, seemingly offering us beer before quickly realizing his disastrous mistake.

Note to self, don鈥檛 offer beer to police. Better yet 鈥� don鈥檛 carry open liquor.

It may seem unfair to the student, but Const. Long explains they鈥檙e enforcing liquor violations heavily this year. As he hands the student his citation, he thoroughly explains the student his rights 鈥� Const. Long doesn鈥檛 miss details 鈥� pointing out where his court date is written on the ticket.

鈥淐an I fight the ticket in court?鈥� he asks.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 your decision,鈥� replies Const. Long.

Perhaps unaware of the process, or still feeling the effect of the open case鈥檚 missing beer, the student asks if he pleads 鈥渘ot guilty鈥� if Const. Long will vouch for him.

Puzzled, but undeterred, Const. Long says he will tell the court what happened.

鈥淚s there anything I can do?鈥� asks the suddenly sober student. 鈥淪tay out of trouble and we鈥檒l see when we get to court,鈥� replies Const. Long.

2:02 a.m.
We鈥檙e back in the Dal parking lot 鈥� where it all began 鈥� hmm, that sounds overdramatic, meh, it鈥檚 2 a.m. I鈥檓 tired.

Const. Long puts the confiscated case of Moosehead into the trunk of the cruiser as Dalhousie security pulls up. 鈥淎rrest these two,鈥� says Const. Long pointing to my colleague and me 鈥� I quickly remember all of my parking infractions on campus and give a nervous laugh as the security cruiser disappears into the early morning fog.

We thank the constables for letting us tag along. Const. Adamski apologizes in case we felt the night dragged on. I look at him puzzled. 鈥淚t was an unusually slow night,鈥� he says. With not a dull moment all evening I had thought quite the opposite, leaving me to wonder what a busy night was like, or for that matter, an average one. Maybe next time.