Grab your pipe and houndstooth cap, it's time for another crack at crime solving.

The intrepid crime fighters of the 11th annual Citizens Police Academy convened in Southern Pines this week.

For those who have forgotten, 19 of Southern Pines' finest citizens, along with yours truly, are tasked with solving a mock crime as part of the Academy.

Last week we discovered a crime scene in the break room of the Public Works building.

There was plenty of blood, poker chips, cards, and overturned furniture. In addition, there was a wine bottle, suspicious writing on the inside of the box that holds the cards, a bloody knife, bloody partial footprints and a red rag with writing on it and a corner missing.

A janitor has discovered the victim, who was transported to the hospital with a stab wound to the chest.

Our group surveyed and then photographed the crime scene as we began to piece together enough evident in an effort to solve the crime.

First the new developments:

Our stabbing victim died before he could tell us anything. A second person who was believed to be in the building at the time of the attack has lawyered up, and refuses to talk to police.

But, the good news is we can still rely on our evidence. And there is plenty of that to gather. Our group discovered a set of footprints and blood leading out the back door of the building.

We learned how to cast footprints using dental stone. (It holds up better than plaster) and cast impressions of a left and a right shoe print to add to our evidence.

It was kinda like making pancakes using a shoe-sized cookie cutter.

In the first part of class we got the 4-1-1 on the department's telecommunications department.

The TC staff, or dispatchers as the are sometimes called, are a very important part of the the department. And probably its most underrated.

They are the first on the scene to any crime. And their attention to detail and ability to listen, stay calm and relay information to the officers, can be important in any situation.

Heck, they even have to have the patient to deal with me on a regular basis. And that, for those of you who know me, takes a great deal of patience!

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