The new guy always gets the grief.
‘Hey John,? shouts Lt. Dale LaBair from his office in the Oakland County Sheriff’s Independence Township substation. ‘When did you get that promotion, exactly??
‘November 13,? bounces a voice from the room next door.
‘Yeah, Friday the thirteenth,? chimes Detective Steve Armstrong, from the office he shares with MacDonald and the stations other detectives.
People smile, or laugh; eyes roll. It’s all part of being the new guy, all part of the camaraderie among the men and women who protect Independence Township.
John MacDonald spent three years patrolling the township on midnights before his promotion, and prior to that he patrolled Commerce Township for seven years.
In all the calls he’s responded to over the years, he said, crimes against older people and children are the most difficult to see.
But when it came to his own safety, one particular situation caused more worry than any other.
‘The scariest thing about being a police officer is doing a traffic stop after 2 a.m.,? he said. ‘When you’re on the side of the road talking to somebody, you worry about other cars coming down the road and hitting you.?
Responding to an accident in snowy conditions is also dangerous, he said, because other drivers sometimes lose control trying to get a look at what’s happening as they pass.
‘That was my biggest concern, being hit by another car,? he said. ‘All the other stuff, you just mentally prepare yourself for so you’re four or five steps ahead of everyone else.?
After expressing interest in joining the ranks of the OCSD’s detective bureau, MacDonald attended classes to learn about specialized interviewing techniques, human behavior, and physical characteristics that indicate whether or not a person is being honest and forthright.
‘When you’re talking to people you have to know when they’re being truthful, otherwise you’re not a very good detective,? he said. ‘You have to pick up on things, whether the person is the victim or the responsible.?
And pick up on things he does. When it’s time to bring a new detective on board, LaBair, who’s been in command of the substation for 10 years, said he looks for a willingness to work’to dig for answers, ask the extra questions, to go the extra step to arrive at the correct conclusion.
‘He’s a go-getter, he’s a digger, we’re real pleased with him,? LaBair said of MacDonald, the station’s newest detective. ‘He did a good job for us on the road, and we expected he would come in here and do a good job again, and he has. He hit the ground running.?
LaBair said MacDonald came to the detective bureau with knowledge of the locals, experience and excellent training.
But, he said, while skill and training are essential to detective work, personal characteristics are key.
‘It’s mostly personality,? LaBair said. ‘It takes an innate sense to be able to communicate with people, and to make them willing to talk to you. I like the idea that he’s willing to go out and hustle. And he’s obviously very smart.?
Before joining the OCSO in 1993, MacDonald served four years in the United States Navy, and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.
His ship, said MacDonald, was stationed 13 miles off the coast of Kuwait, and the unusually calm seas that winter gave many of the sailors an eerie feeling as they crossed the ocean.
But’with the exception of sailing into a minefield during a dangerous refueling operation’the deployment was fairly uneventful. The most difficult thing, he said, was adapting to long hours without sleep. Thirty-six hour days were not uncommon.
‘We stood 12-hours watch every day,? he said. Six on, six off, six back on. Hopefully you’d get six hours sleep, but that never happened.?
After returning from the Navy, MacDonald followed in the footsteps of step-father Jim Jones, who served 32 years with the OCSO and recently retired from Brandon Township.
Like all newcomers, MacDonald was initially assigned to the Oakland County Jail, where he worked six years and received several promotions before moving on to the police academy.
Today, as the Independence Township substation’s newest detective, MacDonald feels like part of a close-knit group and takes pride in his job.
‘I love it,? he said. ‘I’m learning something new every day; whether it’s about a new technique, locating stolen property, or just making contact with other detectives at other departments, it’s been great.?
MacDonald said he’s glad to have the opportunity to meet and talk with members of the community, and to be able to follow up on cases he would have previously turned over to someone else.
Sharing information, getting advice and networking with others doing the same job, he said, has been helpful.
‘I’m enjoying my job, and learning every day,? he said.