Super Bowl Sunday another night on beat

MERRIMACK – As people sat at home or in a bar watching the Super Bowl, Sgt. Joe Goodridge of the Merrimack Police Department was busy patrolling the streets.

As a supervisor, Goodridge’s job was primarily to oversee and back up other officers who were assigned to patrol specific areas in town. Goodridge keeps near the center of town because he never knows which officer may need assistance and he doesn’t want to be too far away if a call comes.

Early in the night, Goodridge expected to make more traffic stops than a normal Sunday night because people would be more likely to be driving while intoxicated. He also kept an ear on the radio for calls for domestic violence and burglaries. Both crimes seem to be becoming more common, he said.

People seemed to be behaving themselves on this Super Bowl Sunday, however.

Judging from the cars in the parking lots, Jade Dragon and Slapshot’s Sports Bar and Billards, two popular bars, didn’t look as busy as they would have been if the Patriots were in the game, Goodridge said.

Among Goodridge’s tasks during a two-hour stretch included responding to a medical call; backing up an officer during a field sobriety test; and checking out a suspicious vehicle in front of a drug store.

In police work, a night can go from slow to busy in seconds. And when that happens, it can be totally unpredictable.

“I love this job,” Goodridge said. “You never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes eight hours will go by in what feels like seconds because you are so busy.”

A man driving a white pickup truck passed his sobriety test and was allowed to go on his way. The suspicious vehicle in front of CVS was merely a shopper.

Goodridge said robbers will commonly park in front of stores around closing time so that they can make a quick get away.

“If you were doing a robbery, that’s what you’d do,” Goodridge said, referring to the car parked at the drugstore near closing time.

As he drove around, he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of erratic driving.

“You will see them swerving . . . or stopped at a green light,” Goodridge said of drunken drivers. “It’s pretty apparent.”

In addition to being an officer, Goodridge is a football fan, too. In fact, he played linebacker on the undefeated champion Merrimack High School Tomahawks in 1988.

Goodridge said he liked the Arizona Cardinals because he supports the underdog almost all the time.

Growing up in Merrimack in a family of 10, Goodridge said he feels serving in a town he grew up in has been an advantage because residents feel like the can talk to him.

Daymond Steer can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 31, or dsteer@cabinet.com.n’t want to be too far away if a call comes.

Early in the night, Goodridge expected to make more traffic stops than a normal Sunday night because people would be more likely to be driving while intoxicated. He also kept an ear on the radio for calls for domestic violence and burglaries. Both crimes seem to be becoming more common, he said.

People seemed to be behaving themselves on this Super Bowl Sunday, however.

Judging from the cars in the parking lots, Jade Dragon and Slapshot’s Sports Bar and Billards, two popular bars, didn’t look as busy as they would have been if the Patriots were in the game, Goodridge said.

Among Goodridge’s tasks during a two-hour stretch included responding to a medical call; backing up an officer during a field sobriety test; and checking out a suspicious vehicle in front of a drug store.

In police work, a night can go from slow to busy in seconds. And when that happens, it can be totally unpredictable.

“I love this job,” Goodridge said. “You never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes eight hours will go by in what feels like seconds because you are so busy.”

A man driving a white pickup truck passed his sobriety test and was allowed to go on his way. The suspicious vehicle in front of CVS was merely a shopper.

Goodridge said robbers will commonly park in front of stores around closing time so that they can make a quick get away.

“If you were doing a robbery, that’s what you’d do,” Goodridge said, referring to the car parked at the drugstore near closing time.

As he drove around, he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of erratic driving.

“You will see them swerving . . . or stopped at a green light,” Goodridge said of drunken drivers. “It’s pretty apparent.”

In addition to being an officer, Goodridge is a football fan, too. In fact, he played linebacker on the undefeated champion Merrimack High School Tomahawks in 1988.

Goodridge said he liked the Arizona Cardinals because he supports the underdog almost all the time.

Growing up in Merrimack in a family of 10, Goodridge said he feels serving in a town he grew up in has been an advantage because residents feel like the can talk to him.