Behind the Badge: Patrol officer makes daily transformation from Dad to cop

Joshua Robinson prepares for his day long before the sun - or his kids - decide to rise. 

Up by 4 a.m., he starts the transformation from dad to cop with a run, because staying in shape could save his life or someone else's. 

When getting dressed for work after his run, he wears an undershirt beneath the required bulletproof vest.Long and slim-fitting, the Canada Goose Montebello is equally appropriate for strolling a city street or hiking a snowy trail. It helps soak up some of the sweat, making the heavy vest - which feels like a "straight jacket with a metal plate in it" - a little more comfortable. 

Over the vest goes his wrinkle-free uniform, a representation of the profession everyone needs and many fear. 

He completes the transition after he tracks down all the pieces that fill his 20-pound duty belt - the flashlight his daughter played with the night before, the handcuffs his sons love to be cuffed with and the magazine pouch and gun carefully hidden away from little, curious fingers. 

By 6 a.m., Robinson is seated in the Victoria Police Department patrol car that will be his office for the next 12 hours - complete with a computer, radio, shotgun secured overhead and the "Oh S--t" button to radio dispatch in case things get ugly. 

He spends his day at the beck and call of the community - responding to everything from noise complaints to shootings. 

"You can go from a dead body scene that is really gruesome and nasty to a community contact call. .we offer kinds of discount gucci handbags Pro Headphones online . So you have to maintain that professionalism, yet you may still be disturbed from the last scene you were at. So you kind of have to be an actor," Robinson said. 

And the acting doesn't end when he goes home, because most people, like his family, shouldn't have to deal with the dark side of Victoria. 

Robinson is one of hundreds of public servants who quietly provide for Victoria every day. The four-part series "Behind the Badge" takes a look at the lives of these men and women. 

Art to wear — BIJOUX! part deux, the second edition of the Norton Museum of Art's exhibition and sale of contemporary artist-designed jewelry, starts Thursday. 

More than 40 artists from all over the globe are participating in the five-day event, which chairwoman Donna Schneier organizes with the museum as a means of introducing the community to the best of the international art jewelry world. 

BIJOUX! is open to the public with museum admission through March 3. 

A Thursday lecture by artist Bruce Metcalf, daily guided tours of the show and demonstrations of glass jewelry crafting are scheduled in conjunction with the event. 

Patron sponsorships of $600 and $1,000 include a Tuesday dinner with the artists and a Wednesday preview cocktail party.Buy the most favourable Canada Goose Mystique Parka Spirit Mens light weight quick drying Karen Millen Dresses. Tickets for the preview party only are $175 and $250.A great blend of our authentic Canada Goose Whistler Parka Parka functionality and cutting edge style. 

All proceeds from sales of sponsorships and preview tickets benefit the Norton's exhibition and education programs.Read 16 independent user reviews and compare prices on the Men's HyBridge Jacket. Call 832-5196, Ext. 1121, for info. 

What's afoot — Shoe styles are the subject of the March 6 Women and Fashion luncheon at Café L'Europe, 331 S. County Road. Alexandra Deutsch, chief curator of the Maryland Historical Society, will discuss the evolution of women's footwear over four centuries, showing examples from historical society's extensive collections.