12:03 p.m. - 2007-04-29
Is Being Number 1 A Good Thing?
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Most people strive to be the first, it indicates the Best....the Most Successful.... the Honored..... the Winner.
But in this case.......and in this instance..... and in this blog,
IT IS NOT A DESIRABLE ACCCOMPLISHMENT!
In today's Sunday paper, in the city I grew up in and the city I live next to...this same Midwestern city is tied with two others as having the highest number of police officers deaths in a rating with 41 other towns of comparable size.
YES, we have lost 15 officers since 1900. We are tied with Peoria, Il and Kansas City, Kansas; based on a population of 105,262 (our town) to 144,210, in Kansas City.
There has been a police officer killed in 1900, 1908, 1916, 1921,1933 (two) 1934. Some of these murders were connected to bank robberies.
One of our officers was killed by John Dillinger.
Since then, an officer has been killed in 1974, 1997, 2006 and on April 24, 2007.
Not only that but we had several officers seriously wounded in the past 40 years that I can recall. Our officers wear bullet-proof vests, they take precautions. Recently, one of them should have died....the doctors were pumping in blood as fast as it was spilling out. Somehow, with the grace of a higher power; he lived.
He is back on the Police Dept. He now helps the families of slain officers with coping skills he learned the hard way - along with his regular police duties.
One of the other wounded officers has now become an expert in pedophiles.
He worked on and perfected a program to catch them on the Internet and his work is sought after. He has assisted other police departments around the country institute their own program.
We also have had many officers wounded or otherwise injured on the job.
We just had the one year memorial service for an officer who was killed while off duty.
He was taking his date home and talking outside of her house when a young man tried to rob them. He tried to keep his date out of the line of trouble and was killed in front of her eyes.
The very day after his memorial, our most recent officer was gunned down and his partner was wounded on April 24, 2007.
According to the statistics for the cities on comparable population, we are actually Number Two with a death rate of .143. The number one city is Youngstown, Ohio with .145.
THIS IS NO HONOR THAT ANY CITY OR TOWN WOULD STRIVE TO WIN.
I know that many of you have also lost police officers in the town where you currently live.
I also realize that some of you don't like the police very much. But just remember this, the police, for the most part, are always there for you. They put their lives on the line every single minute of their day. Some of them help in the neighborhoods they live in when they are off duty. Many of them participate in programs for our youth and try to help the less fortunate all during the year.
And who do you call when you need help.....??
Our officers are trained and skilled. They work very hard to maintain order and enforce the laws. Their slogan is "to serve and protect".
AND THEY DO!
Unfortunately, now they have become Number One is handling the media, the visitations, the honor ceremonies and the funerals for these officers. They have it down to a science now and it goes off flawlessly. They have the officer's car in front of the Police Department. People come by to visit, share memories, leave flowers, teddy bears, tokens of love, letters and pictures.
This time there was a light ceremony where the police cars drove, with all their colored lights flashing, by this officer's favorite places including a golf course, all of his schools (he was born and raised in this town) and ended at a restaurant where he often stopped during his shift. His viewing and funeral will be at the University of Notre Dame and there will be bagpipers playing.
I have a special place in my heart for the South Bend Police Dept. My husband was an officer for 20 years. My sister-in law (she passed away in November, 2006 and I have written about her in my past blogs) was one of the first women police officers. She left when she got married because her husband was a career Navy officer and they had to relocate. My son works as a police and fire dispatcher for the South Bend Departments. He is a civilian but lives and breathes for the police and firemen.
IF YOU SEE A POLICEMAN DURING YOUR DAY, PLEASE SMILE AND SAY "THANK YOU".
