Police, Firefighters Go for the Gold at Games

Outside the Billiard Tavern on Broadway, two San Diego police cars had pulled onto the sidewalk. Four uniformed officers were inside the pool hall.

There was no fight in progress. The police were there to check on heated billiards battles among fellow officers competing in the 1987 World Police and Fire Games.

More than 5,000 police officers and firefighters from around the world have converged on the city and surrounding areas for the weeklong games. The participants are competing in 46 events held in locations from Oceanside to Lakeside.

“This is probably the safest place around right now,” said Ray Ruffin, a police officer from Rochester, N.Y.

Ruffin is spending his vacation in San Diego, but instead of lying on the beach he is staying inside the cool darkness of the pool hall, trying for a gold medal in straight pool and nine-ball.

“I spend most of my free time playing pool anyway,” Ruffin said.

Like Ruffin, most of the competitors are here on personal time. The athletes don’t plan to get involved in local law enforcement.

“I didn’t even bring my gun,” said Barbara Smith, a tennis-playing sheriff’s deputy from Sacramento County. “But if we see anything, we’ll drop a dime in the phone. We make excellent witnesses.”

The men and women have come from police and fire departments throughout the world. About 200 San Diego police officers are competing. In addition to the United States, countries represented include Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Trinidad and Ireland.

“There is some excellent competition here,” said Martin Hoenisch, who was hurrying to lose four pounds overnight so he could compete in the 178-pound novice boxing division. “There are some world-class athletes.”

Although there is an even split between police officers and firefighters who are competing, many police officers think firefighters might have an edge.

“They usually have more free time,” said Bob Barrier, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who won a gold medal for straight pool in the first World Games, held in San Jose in 1985. “Some even have pool tables in the firehouses.”

Larry Gosnell, a San Diego officer serving as director of the games, said the purpose of the competition is to promote physical fitness within the police and fire communities.

“Physical fitness plays a large part in being a police officer or a firefighter,” Gosnell said. “If you look like a slob, people will treat you that way. This is good for our image.”

Sports range from conventional games such as basketball, tennis and volleyball to more offbeat events like motocross, over-the-line and surfing.

But the competition does have a distinctly law enforcement-related flavor. Martial arts events are featured prominently, along with firearms competition such as pistol and large and small bore rifle shooting.

The most police-specific event is the police service dog competition. Dogs and their handlers are judged on agility, obedience, searching and control.

“You don’t see police officers dribbling basketballs at work,” said Brook Plotnik, who drove with his German shepherd, Dillon, from West Valley, Utah, to compete. “But working with the dogs is directly related to work.”

Matt Duran, an officer from Eureka, acknowledged that his dog, Shadow, is the true athlete in the competition.

“If we win, I always put the medal around his neck,” Duran said. “I couldn’t really do it without him.”