Some of our past posts talked about careless driving, distracted driving, drivers striking our squads while at accident scenes. I also spoke of the dangers officers face while on foot at traffic crashes directing traffic, rendering aid and investigating the accidents. Every officer could tell you stories how drivers yell and swear at them for the driver being inconvenienced by the traffic diversion as the result of a crash. They could also tell you how drivers, while looking at the crash scene, don’t follow directions, run over their cones or try to maneuver around their squad to get through. I have attached a 30 second video of a highway in Germantown to give you a small idea of what it is like for an officer, through their eyes, to be out on foot near traffic. Turn on your sound while watching. The officers feel the wind created by the semis ruffle their uniform as they pass. Debris, salt and gravel whip up and sometimes go into their eyes. Some drivers do not follow the move over law. The speed in which the traffic flows gives the officers very little time to react. Please think of this post the next time you are upset because traffic is moving slow as the result of a crash, or when an officer has to detour your route which may cause you to be late for an event. Most importantly, pay close attention as you pass through an accident scene. Chief Peter Hoell 
 
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 Germantown police are trying to solve a strange mystery after they found a diamond ring placed on a branch of the police department's Christmas tree. 
 
 Chief Peter Hoell posted a note on the Germantown Police Department's Facebook page Saturday, asking if anyone knew where the ring came from. 
 
 The diamonds are real, he said, and police think someone intentionally placed the ring on the tree that sits in the police department's lobby. 
 
 For the past five weeks, the department has invited people to bring their children to the police lobby to decorate the tree and get a stuffed animal in return. Sometime in the past few weeks, someone put the ring on the tree but left no explanation. 
 
 Hoell said anyone with information on the ring can email him directly at phoell@germantownpolice.org. 
 
 He's not just giving out an easy, late Christmas present though — anyone claiming the ring will need to provide a detailed description of it first.
– A Wisconsin police department is trying to figure out who left a diamond ring on its Christmas tree. Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell posted a note on his department's Facebook page yesterday, asking if anyone knew where the ring came from. He says the diamonds are real. Police think someone intentionally placed the ring on a branch of the tree in the police department's lobby. For the past five weeks, the department invited people to bring their children to decorate the tree and get a stuffed animal in return. During that time, someone put the ring on the tree but left no explanation. Germantown is about 15 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that anyone claiming the ring will have to provide a detailed description.