It's Strange Having the LA County Coroner in My Neighborhood

by Irene Daniel

I live in pretty nice neighborhood. Most of the neighbors know each other, at least in passing, or at least of each other. We know pretty much what people and dogs go with what houses. Most of us have outside lights on either all night or on a motion sensor; and a lot of us have dogs that bark when there are strangers about. I feel safe here. Burglars casing the neighborhood most likely move on to more vulnerable targets.

But the other night there was some commotion on my street. Apparently there was an accidental death at a neighbor's house; requiring the investigative services of the LA Fire Department, 2 black-and-white LAPD prowlers, 2 other unmarked LAPD vehicles, the LA County Coroner and a DWP service vehicle. I don't know the details, and don't need to know, but it was a lot of commotion for a usually quiet street.

It's creepy going to bed with a car that has 'coroner' written on it parked about 10 yards away from your front door. I've never had that happen before now. Now, mind you, I grew up about 3 blocks away from a maximum security state prison and about a mile away from a federal prison, as well as the city jail and the county lock-up nearby, my hometown being the county seat. Plus, I used to work at the LA County DA's Office, so, seeing a lot of law enforcement vehicles is no big deal.

But coroner's vehicles don't belong on my street. As far as I know, this is a homicide-free zone here in my little corner of Eagle Rock, CA. Law enforcement vehicles belong in law enforcement venues, not on my street. And it suddenly occurred to me that there are many neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and all over the country, where children are growing up seeing vehicles like these in their neighborhoods all too often. I never knew what that felt like until the other night. What kind of message does that send to children? To regularly experience the presence of, and possibly harassment by, law enforcement? Can it ever be no big deal to see the coroner in your neighborhood?

I don't know the answers to those questions. Until I had a coroner parked practically outside my door, I never even knew that I had these questions. All I know is that it just felt creepy to me. Unsettling. Unsafe. Is this what inner-city kids in poor neighborhoods feel? Does it harden them? Make them shed their precious innocence before it is age-appropriate?

Again, I don't know. To me, the presence of law enforcement in my neighborhood was not personally threatening. But all those official vehicles a few yards away as I am getting ready for bed is a signal that something is amiss here. Something isn't right. Something happened that wasn't supposed to happen. Somebody died close to my home. And it rocked my world a little. It has affected my ability to fall asleep peacefully for a few nights. I didn't call these emotions to myself. I just let them happen and observed them, and now I'm trying to make sense of them by writing about them.

And now I share with my readers my confusion and a sense of being up-ended somehow. My experiences have produced a sense of respect and safety in the presence of law enforcement, for the most part, at least in my personal life. And I am not afraid of law enforcement, just not used to seeing such a presence in my neighborhood. And it raised questions for me that, while I may have contemplated them before now, I had never really experienced such a heavy presence on the street where I live, and work, and love, and laugh.

And it left me with some feelings unfamiliar to me, and it is that unfamiliarity that calls to my curiosity. What are these feelings? Why am I left so unsettled? Does this scene in the street affect others in other communities? If so, how? How does this affect one's world view? What effect does this scene have on one's ability to trust? Trust neighbors? Trust law enforcement?

Like I said, I don't have answers. Only questions. Questions about life that I had not contemplated before having a coroner's vehicle parked outside my door.

Have you had a similar experience that opens up a new way of seeing, or at least questioning your world view? If so, please share with me. I need help navigating these sensations.

We all need each other to share and to help figure life out. Especially when we are confused, unsettled or taken aback by something that rocks us out of our comfort zones.

What can you teach me about life's unsettling moments? I'm all ears.