James Bufford

So a couple months ago at work we received a radio call for a found adult down near the water front in San Pedro. When we arrive we see the man they are talking about..he's probably mid seventies and disoriented, I could tell he had early stages of Alzheimer's. Of course he has no identification on him..but thankfully he could tell me his name. I run him on the computer and get an address in San Pedro. We head up to that address and the manager tells me that he lives in a grey apartment complex near 14th and Palo Verde. No address..great..so we drive up to that area and find a grey apartment complex..mind you it's not really an apartment complex..it's a building with rooms that share a bathroom on the same floor. It houses mainly drug addicts. I get a hold of that manager and she tells me he lives in the apartment with his daughter. I knock on the door and ask her where her dad is. Of course she couldn't be anymore of a drug addict..female white, thin, no teeth and extremely weather beaten. She tells me that he's off with her boyfriend playing pool. Wrong..he's in my car...anyways I proceed to advise her to sew his name on his clothes so we know his correct address and to keep a better eye on him. Not to mention she's sitting in a studio room with 4 other people..gee I wonder what your smoking in there.

The very next week I hear a supervisor run a Jame Bufford over the air. This time he was all the up near the cliffs in Palos Verdes. I get a hold of the supervisor and tell him I know where he lives and I'll transport him home. I see James and tell him I now officially see him more than my friends..he smiles and I take him home. This time when I see his daughter I let her know that she really needs to sort out her life and take better care of her dad..I read her the riot act for 5 mins before heading home for the night.

A few weeks later a radio call of shots fired comes out from the complex James resides at..sure as shit it's legit..a robbery of a tenant occurred in one of the rooms..I'm standing out front when I see a police car from Cypress pull up in front with a female officer..with James in the back. Seems he made it all the way to Cypress this time..of course I have zero time to deal with the daughter again due to the shooting call...

A few more weeks pass and I get another radio call at this same complex regarding a landlord tenant dispute. I get there solve the problem..but right before I leave I ask the manager how James is doing..she tells me he was killed a few days prior..he was walking on the freeway in downtown when he got hit by 6 cars. WTF? Unbelievable..that poor guy..all because his daughter would rather get high than take care of her father. Of course I see her walk out of the complex at this very time. This is the few times I've actually could have given shit on my job if someone complained about me...I told her she was pathetic and that her father deserved better than her as his daughter..I was brutal but really didn't give a shit.

We understand we can't help everyone..and all we can really be is a temporary fix. Adult protective services had been called..but they never answered the door...it just sucks that as much as we try to help it's all for nothing sometimes.