When Rome Police Officer Shawn R. Platt boots up the onboard computer inside his patrol car, it plays the ‘Bad Boys’ theme from the television show COPS.

The popular Fox Network program has been putting camera crews in police cars for almost two decades, giving the public an up-close-and-personal look into the daily patrols of law enforcers. City police offered a comparable shift-snapshot to the Daily Sentinel.

The eight-hour patrol began on Wednesday night, Oct. 8. The weather was rainy and bleak. Routine for the season, but like the night tour, not without surprises. The "Shawns’ Car" — as it was called by ribbing officers — was on patrol throughout the city, keeping the peace on the usually quiet, always potentially dangerous, streets of Rome. There was the two-vehicle collision on Third Street without any drivers, and the late night arrest of a man who found a cheap — albeit dangerous and illegal — solution to high gas prices.

Wednesday, October 8:

• 3:45 p.m. Each shift starts with a daily briefing, where the sergeant on duty gives a heads-up to the officers before they go on patrol. Sgt. Michael D. Yoxall read a list of work reminders from an earlier staff meeting — pointing out proper paperwork procedures — and gave a rundown the recent trouble spots. For example, patrols have increased in the 500 and 600 blocks of West Dominick Street after an assault in the area on Wednesday night, Oct. 1. One of the officers was assigned to a foot patrol to watch the block, and the others were advised to swing through in their patrol cars.

• 4:05 p.m. Time to lock and load. Officer Platt and the rest of the night-shift were assigned radios, cars and back-up weapons, all of which were phased in from the day-shift men and women in blue. The two shifts overlap, so there are always officers on the streets. Platt loaded his gear into his marked Dodge Charger, and ran down an equipment check of his speed radar and onboard computer. "We do all our tickets now electronically, through the computer," Platt explained. A new feature this year, the computers are linked directly to headquarters, and allow officers to print out tickets and write reports from inside the car. As for weaponry, each officer is issued their own personal handgun, baton and pepper spray; and Tasers, shotguns and rifles are assigned per shift. The larger firearms are stored in-vehicle. Each officer is also required to wear a bullet-proof vest. Platt’s Kevlar protection was worn his beneath his uniform.

• 4:22 p.m. Patrol in the black and white car began by heading south on North James Street. The Inner District of Rome is split into four patrol zones, with usually one car per zone. The remaining officers rove citywide, which was Platt’s duty for the night.

• 4:28 p.m., six minutes in. A minor fender-bender is encountered in front of Herb Philipson’s, at the intersection of West Dominick and North George streets. William Ciccotti, 59, of Landshut, Germany, had just come from his mother’s funeral when he rear-ended Samuel Hesler, 44, of Taberg, at the light. No one was injured, but Platt interviewed both drivers, their passengers, and took their licenses and registration forms back to his car to file his report.

The accident report template is already stored in the computer, and it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks. The computer also "submits all this stuff electronically to the Department of Motor Vehicles, same thing with tickets," Platt explained. "It cuts down on paperwork, and it cuts down on time," he said, adding that it also saves people from his poor penmanship. Platt started filling in the report, but there was one problem.

"It’s all in German, I can’t read it," Platt chuckled as he looked over Ciccotti’s international driving permit. A quick translation from Ciccotti, and Platt printed out insurance information for both drivers.

Because of his mother’s passing, Platt decided to cut Ciccotti a break and not issue a ticket.

• 5:02 p.m. Back on the street, the patrol rolled on in the fading daylight. Officer Platt explained the job is all about "Looking and seeing what’s out of place." He said, "Rome is a pretty small city, as far as cities go, so it’s easy to recognize people; who hangs out with who; who does what." We swing by the 600 block of W. Dominick St., but there’s no sign of trouble. "The biggest key to being successful when patrolling is not being predictable," Platt said. If an officer’s movements become routine, the criminals can learn how to avoid the cops.

Platt, age 40, grew up in Whitesboro but now lives in the Outer District. He has worn Rome shield 10210 for seven years. Before joining the force, he worked five and a half years as a patrol officer with the Sheriff’s Department. "I was happy working for the county, but sometimes you have to look at the big picture," Platt explained. He switched to Rome because "the benefits are good, the pay is good." At the time of the switch, Platt had been applying to several different police departments throughout Central New York, and found Rome to be one of the best. Several old friends from the Sheriff’s Department who had also switched departments told him good things about Rome, and "one day out of the blue" he got the call that he was hired.

"I’m happy. I enjoy coming to work," Platt said. "It’s a good job, it’s a good career. This department has been good to me."

• 5:10 p.m. A second accident came in as a call to 9-1-1, and Platt was dispatched to a collision with a parked vehicle in front of 128 1/2 Third St. It turned out another parked car slipped into reverse gear and rolled into a sports-utility vehicle. According to the vehicle-owners on the scene, Francesca Maltese of Mohawk Street had stopped her Dodge Neon on the side of the one-way street, but as soon as she climbed out, the car started rolling backwards. Maltese raced after it, but she couldn’t stop the car from crashing into the driver’s side front fender of a 1994 Ford Explorer.

The owner, Francis Glinski, 50, made the unfortunate discovery that the front wheels could no longer turn right. Glinski is disabled, and his family started to panic about how they would be able to get around. Platt stepped in to help explain the insurance process; how Glinski could have the vehicle towed and his insurance company would be able to send a rental car. Ellinger’s Collision was called to remove the wreck.

• 6:01 p.m. Glinski’s daughter arrived on the scene in a profanity-filled fury, upset over the accident and angry at Platt for not issuing Maltese a ticket. Platt told her to watch her language in front of some children in the area, and he explained that there were no grounds to issue a ticket. Maltese was faulted for the accident in the report, which the insurance company will see, but because there was no driver in her car there was no ticket. Dusk had arrived by the time Ellinger’s truck towed Glinski’s vehicle away. Back to the street.

• 6:08 p.m. Platt pulled into the parking lot at Pinti Field on Sixth Street to finish his accident report. A few teen-agers in the skateboard park watched the police car nervously, but kept skating. The rain started to fall, just a sprinkle at first.

• 6:17 p.m. Patrolling northbound on Floyd Avenue gave us the opportunity to discuss the officer’s background. Platt got into law enforcement after working security at Turning Stone Casino, a job that would shape the rest of his life. Not only did he meet his wife at the casino — and they now have two lovely children — but it also gave him his first encounter with law enforcement.

After high school, Platt attended Mohawk Valley Community College to study computers. It took only a year before Platt realized that sort of 9-to-5 life was not for him, and he got a job at the casino in Verona. "While I was working there, I met a lot of (Oneida Indian) Nation police officers and state troopers working there." From the way they described it, law enforcement "sounded kind of interesting."

Platt said the biggest change he has seen in the police business over his 12-year career has been the attitude of normal citizens towards the law and police officers. "People just don’t hesitate to argue with you, or give you a hard time about something," Platt stated. "It’s not bad here, but I’ve seen the way police are treated elsewhere, and I see the way police treat people." Platt explained that the give-and-take between police and the community is about mutual respect. "You give me respect, you get respect." When dealing with disorderly or sometimes intoxicated people, Platt advised, "You’ve got to kind of have a thick skin in this job sometimes."

• 6:28 p.m. The night’s first stake-out was uneventful. A suspect from an older assault case had been spotted earlier in the week at Park Drive Manor. Platt found a likely place to wait on the off-chance the suspect would show. The goal was to catch him in his car out for a drive, then stop him and get information to pass along to investigators — not to make an actual arrest. With night falling, activity at Park Drive Manor started to wind down. People were arriving home from work, a baseball game was coming to a close and families started turning on their Halloween decorations.

The wildest call Platt ever answered involved a dairy delivery truck flying off the Route 825 overpass onto Route 49. It was during his tenure with the Sheriff’s Department, when he was working out of an office on the Griffiss Park. "Never really figured out what caused the accident," Platt explained, but the delivery truck bounced between guide rails until it "catapulted his milk truck up in the air, and he went sailing up over the bridge onto Route 49." The highway was covered in rotting dairy products, Platt recalled, but the driver was thrown clear and "lived to tell the tale."

• 6:41 p.m. No sign of the suspect. Patrol resumes. Rainfall is stiffening and the sun has fully set, making it a bit more difficult to look around houses and down dark alleys in drive-pasts. The patrol travels Dominick, Turin and Embargo streets. No hints of of trouble. Now, onto Erie Boulevard West until its breakoff at the Route 46 turn. City jurisdiction ends here.

Officer Platt said he didn’t see himself ever leaving law enforcement. His eventual goal is to become a drug investigator or detective. The Detective Division investigates all felony-level crimes in Rome, crimes that will eventually go before a grand jury and appear in County Court. Platt said he took the detective’s civil service exam, and is fifth on the list of potential applicants, should there be an opening.

• 7:01 p.m. Heading east on Erie Boulevard towards South Madison Street. A westbound car driving without headlights, only the weaker parking lights are in use. Platt said it was a common occurrence on the boulevard, with so much ambient lighting. Platt attempted to turn around in the intersection, but got hung up on a red light and was not able to find the driver again. Platt said there are no ticket quotas for patrol officers. .

• 7:12 p.m. Now passing Tony’s Pizzeria at the intersection of West Thomas and North Jay streets, which has the best slice in the city, according to Officer Platt. And, yes, officers pay.

• 7:17 p.m. First arrest. A man named Juan Castro, who was wanted for not paying a City Court surcharge. Platt knew the man, and knew him to be both cooperative and even respectful towards police, so there was not any trouble. Another officer had seen Castro sitting on a porch on Henry Street, and Platt was dispatched as back-up. Officers Platt and Jason A. Paul knocked on the door and Castro came quietly, though he wasn’t too happy that he would have to spend the rest of the night in lockup. "There are worse things out there you should be worrying about than me," Castro told the cops as he pulled on his shoes. The officers let him get dressed and have a cigarette before Paul took him back to the station at 301 N. James. Like most people arrested, Castro was in one of the police cells until the next morning, when he was arraigned before a City Court judge.

• 7:39 p.m. Blood was dripping down a man’s arm when Platt found him leaning against a utility pole at the corner of West Wright and West streets in south Rome. A call had come in to 9-1-1 about a domestic dispute that ended with a man cutting himself and wandering off down the street. Platt found him and helped him into an AmCare Ambulance, which took the man to Rome Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation. Officer Platt interviewed the man’s ex-girlfriend, who had called 9-1-1, and filled out a domestic incident report.

• 8:16 p.m. Rolling again. A couple of young teen-agers were loitering on West Thomas Street, so Platt shined the spotlight on them as he drove past. One of them cried out, "What?" defensively. Platt didn’t stop.

• 8:25 p.m. The officer watching the desk back at the station wanted his lunch break, so Platt was called to replace him. It is the desk officer’s job to take walk-in complaints and phone calls, and he is partnered through most of the day and night with a dispatch coordinator. Nobody walked in while Platt was at the desk. Patrol resumed within half an hour after a spirited political discussion with civilian Dispatcher Anthony Levadoti.

• 9 p.m. Speeding down Erie Boulevard, an eastbound pickup truck blows the the red light at South Madison Street. Officer Platt pulled in behind him for a few blocks, waiting for a clear spot to pull him over. Speeders always have the best excuses, Platt said. The silliest one he ever heard was from a young woman driving a brand new BMW, who said she was simply not used to the car’s speed and power. Platt let her go, but a week later he pulled her over again and she gave the same excuse. It didn’t work the second time.

• 9:02 p.m. Before he could halt the truck, Officer Platt received a call on his personal phone from another officer.

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A car full of people had pulled up to a suspected drug house off East Bloomfield Street, and he was ordered to check it out. The speedy pickup driver lucked out and got away as course was reversed to the east side. Officer Platt recognized one of the cars parked in the back alley. The car had moved, however, from where the sergeant had seen it. Platt found a place to park and watch, but it appeared that the occupants were nowhere to be found. Catching suspected drug deals can be "hit or miss," he said as we pulled away.

• 9:15 p.m. Dinner time at the Boyz From Italy on West Dominick Street. Officer Platt said he rarely takes his full lunch break because he is usually eating alone. While on patrol, he said he can always take the opportunity to stop by a late-night convenience store if he wants a snack or a drink. The visits also make the clerks happy having a uniform in their store. No freebies here either.

• 9:45 p.m. After discovering a mutual love of buffalo wings, patrol resumes amid grumbles about the rain. The weather seemed to be keeping all the trouble-makers indoors.

• 10:11 p.m. A mini-van on North James Street had a taillight out, so Platt pulled him over to let him know. No ticket in the pouring rain.

• 10:19 p.m. The Muck Road boat launch along the canal off South James Street, is a popular destination for drinkers and adventurous couples, Platt said. However, we didn’t find anyone, so we patrolled down to the southern edge of the jurisdiction on Martin Street and along Bellamy Harbor Park. No late night fishermen.

• 10:27 p.m. Despite being the middle of the week, the city’s bars are busy, and dark parking lots full of cars are apparently great places for some mischief-making. Starting across the street from Lupia’s and DeMatteo’s on East Dominick, a spotlight is shined against windows of vehicles as the black and white crawls past. Platt said people go out to their cars to smoke marijuana. The patrol circles the Blue Moon Saloon and Johnny Bravo’s tavern on East Dominick, and then the Ale House on Black River Boulevard. All appears well.

• 10:56 p.m. Another officer needed Platt’s paperwork on the earlier domestic incident, so they met near City Hall to discuss the case and share stories about finding snakes in their yards.

• 11:19 p.m. The city was a "ghost town," Platt remarked as he drove northbound on North James Street. But it turned out that he was speaking too soon.

• 11:26 p.m. Parked behind a row of U-Haul trucks on Canal Street in south Rome was a beat-up old car, the gas cap was flipped open and a suspicious length of green hose lying on the ground. Platt thought he saw a body in motion between the trucks — someone was siphoning gasoline. Making the call for back-up, Platt got out and started shining his flashlight around. Lights were still on from the U-Haul company, so it wasn’t very dark, but there seemed to be no sign of any suspect. After a few minutes of standing by the car, my curiosity got the better of me and I walked between two trucks out to the front. I found a tense Platt kneeling near the first truck in line, and he gave me a quick, silent gesture to stand back. The man was hiding under the truck.

11:32 p.m. "Show me your hands! Show me your hands!"

11:35 p.m. Edwin H. Pett, 56, of Utica, was read his rights after Platt and his backup pulled him out from under the truck. A thin man with a mangy beard, Pett agreed to answer questions as the three officers scoured the area looking for any accomplices and evidence. In front of the truck was a five-gallon jug of gasoline, the cap off. In the back of Pett’s car were two other jugs of diesel fuel, which he said he took from another truck parked on Depeyster Street. Platt continued to search the ground and Pett’s car, where he found two bolt cutters, blankets stolen out of the back of a U-Haul truck and more. "I’ve never seen a car with cockroaches in it — until tonight," Platt sighed.

12:37 a.m. The scene is cleared after an hour of searching the grounds. Nobody could be found from U-Haul to press charges, but police were able to speak with the truck owner on Depeyster Street. Pett was likely looking at three counts of petty larceny and one count of possession of burglar’s tools, but Platt said it would take an two more hours to get him booked, charged and to log all of the evidence — and Platt was supposed to be off-duty at midnight. With the prospect of two hours of police paperwork. I got to go home.