I mark the arrival of fall with a tradition that’s become as much a part of my seasonal routine as watching the leaves turn between Nederland and Ward: my annual ride-along with a Boulder police officer.

As a member of the City of Boulder Police Oversight Panel (BPOP), I’m required to check out our fair city from the passenger seat of a Boulder police cruiser. The city manager appoints 11 panel members, including two college students.

Many of you don’t live in Boulder. I suggest you check out police oversight in your community. They’re all different.

Fortunately, I’ve never had to experience Boulder from the backseat of a police cruiser. My only recent encounter with law enforcement involved a photo radar van that caught me speeding on Glenwood Avenue between 28th and 30th streets. I’d much rather be caught by radar and mailed a ticket than be stopped for half an hour or more.

I suspect most Boulder residents, including myself, have had little, if any, direct contact with law enforcement. A ride-along offers a glimpse into a world most of us know only through news reports, TV dramas, or the occasional flashing lights in our rearview mirrors.

This year, I signed up for Watch 1, the early-morning shift. At 6 a.m., I met Sgt. Faber in the police station lobby before roll call. I knew the drill. The shift begins with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by general information and updates. This morning’s training covered probable cause and searches, a subject I found interesting.

The legal boundaries governing police searches have evolved considerably since the days of Eliot Ness and his “Untouchables,” the handpicked Prohibition agents who stormed into warehouses with Tommy guns, chasing after Al Capone and his bootlegged whiskey.

Today, probable cause, constitutional protections, and search rules shape what officers can and cannot do in the field. For example, there’s a big difference between an open baggie and a sealed one. A traffic stop for a busted taillight does not mean an officer can look in the trunk unless the driver gives permission.

The training reminded me that police work involves much more than responding to calls. Officers must understand the law and make decisions within its boundaries, often under difficult circumstances.

On my first ride-along two years ago on Watch 2, with recall at 2:00 p.m., we responded to a noise complaint at dusk. Before getting out of the car, the officer looked up the hours the city code allows loud noise. It turned out the contractor was well within the limits. The officer told him a neighbor complained and that he should use his better judgment and finish by the designated hour.

Later that night, several officers on duty drove around looking for a citizen who had wandered away. It turned out we searched the wrong area. What if caregivers of people prone to getting lost wore an AirTag necklace or bracelet? That would help find lost loved ones.

A friendly cat’s been snooping around my neighborhood with an AirTag on its collar. The same idea would work with pets.

For this year’s ride, I joined Officer Russ Maynard, a 17-year department veteran on Watch 1. Compared to my previous two ride-alongs, not much happened during our shift, which, I suppose, is a good thing.

No dramatic confrontations.

We stopped to check out a report of someone sleeping in a stairwell. The person had already left. Later, we walked along Boulder Creek to investigate a report of four people causing a disturbance. They, too, had departed.

No arrests.

During my first ride-along two years ago, I observed a felony arrest earlier that day. Before we went in to pick up the suspect, the officer explained the level of force he would be using as a precaution. He cuffed the felon and a second responding officer took him to the county jail without incident. We went back to the PD and logged his belongings.

No high-speed chases.

Last year, during my second ride-along, also on Watch 1, after roll call, we got a call and zoomed out of the parking lot with lights flashing to check on a pickup truck that had knocked over a power line on Highway 93. That contact diverted traffic for several hours.

I appreciate the ride-alongs as a way to get to know patrol officers as people, rather than as the stereotypes we carry around, learned from TV shows and movies. Of course, police officers have their own stereotypes about oversight panels and Internal Affairs offices.

“Serpico,” about an Internal Affairs undercover whistleblower, comes to mind.

A little time together in a cruiser helps both sides see beyond preconceived notions. The other is what citizens can do if they believe an officer crossed the line or deserves a commendation.

The city’s website provides a link to guide them through the complaint and commendation process. The flow chart looks more complicated than it is.

Generally, this is what happens after a citizen fills out the complaint form, or if you would like to commend an officer, contact Chief Redfearn. You can also call the Department at the non-emergency number, 303-441-3333

The Independent Police Monitor (IPM), who works out of the city manager’s office, reviews and classifies each submission. Once the police Professional Standards Unit (PSU) and the IPM have processed a case, BPOP may review it and recommend changes to the findings or disposition.

The Chief of Police retains final supervisory authority over the department’s employees.

This process provides accountability while recognizing the chief’s responsibility for managing the department.

The BPOP ride-alongs have been the most enlightening part of my tenure on the panel. Meetings and reports are no substitute for talking with officers, asking questions, and seeing a little of the world from their perspective.

The most useful lesson I’ve learned is the importance of showing up, listening, and understanding someone else’s job.

I enjoyed my time with Officer Maynard. We didn’t solve any crimes or make the evening news. That’s for Sgt. Hank Voight on “Chicago P.D.” and Capt. Olivia Benson on “Law & Order SVU.”

I already know how I’ll mark the arrival of another autumn, though. I’ll look forward to climbing into a police cruiser, buckling up, and seeing where the day takes me.

Maybe I’ll sign up for Watch 3 beginning at 2100 hours on a Saturday night during CU football season and after a big win over Northwestern, avenging the Buffalo’s 2026 loss in Evanston to the Wildcats.