AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2017 9 Not to worry, fellas – I got this. The vermin are smarter than they look, but I’m pretty sure they got the message. Glad I could help. Where’s the catnip at? What happened to all those mice? There is a certain breed of B&E artist (‘breaking and entering,’ if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) that is basically impossible to stop or apprehend. That’s the problem with mice. They’re tiny, silent and pretty damned clever when it comes to getting into and out of rooms and buildings. In Moody, Alabama the mouse problem was so bad at the local police depart- ment that drastic measures were recently taken. The drastic measure is Watson – a very serious, intimidating feline with a gift for pest control. Local police knew they had to do something once the mice started targeting the evidence room. “In the years past we’ve been noticing we had a problem with mice getting into the building, so we called exterminators and stuff, but couldn’t keep ‘em out,” Moody Police Chief Thomas Hunt told local media. “So we decided you know what, we’ll get a cat.” Where the mice used to have the run of the place, they now live in fear. “Ever since we’ve had Watson here, we’ve not had one sign of any mice and he has not killed one yet, so that tells me the mice know he’s there so they’re not coming in,” noted Hunt. But that’s not all Watson’s good for. It turns out having an ani- mal or two around the sta- tion is a great way to make the day shorter and it also helps calm folks down. Watson’s become a rock star with the community and even manages to comfort crime victims when they come in to make a report. “He’s just been a big help for the department alto- gether,” explained Hunt. The Boston PD SWAT team also has a cat. If you read APB you may have seen the feature about Bos- ton’s “SWAT Cat” who has his own kitty-condo outside the SWAT Squad building. But Watson’s got his own bed and even a small office inside the station. “He got hired and he got ranked right from the get-go and he’s loved by everybody here at the Moody Police Department. He’s like one of us,” Hunt concluded. Cats have a scam going – you buy the food, they eat the food, they go away – that’s the deal. – Eddie Izzard © 2017 Trijicon, Inc. Wixom, MI USA 1-800-338-0563 17TRIJ11742-H Find out more at www.trijicon.com The Trijicon LED ACOG ® CONTROL YOUR ILLUMINATION six user-selectable brightness settings and night vision compatible BULLET DROP COMPENSATING & RANGING RETICLES estimate range & hold quickly and accurately RUGGED ALUMINUM-ALLOY HOUSING forged 7075-T6 housing provides for a nearly indestructible sighting system COMBAT PROVEN no other magnified optic has been used more in combat Control in any condition.