The Monument

I got this poem today, it’s really powerful…

“The Monument” by Sgt. George Hahn, LAPD retired

I never dreamed it would be me

My name for all eternity
Recorded here at this hallowed place
Alas, my name, no more my face“In the line of duty” I hear them say
My family now the price will pay
My folded flag stained with their tears
We only had those few short years

The badge no longer on my chest
I sleep now in eternal rest
My sword I pass to those behind
And pray they keep this thought in mind

I never dreamed it would be me
And with heavy heart and bended knee
I ask for all here from the past
Dear God, let my name be the last

 

 

This just in…

Hey guys, I just got this in today from one of my favorite LEO wives:

 

On Monday July 28th, 2008 at approximately 11:00 Deputy Hockman of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office discovered an Ace of Hearts playing card lying in the center of his driveway. Deputy Hockman resides in Martinsburg, WV. Inquiries were made into the meaning of an Ace of Hearts being left in a driveway. The earliest feedback revealed that the Ace of Hearts is used by a gang known as the DAMU. DAMU is Swahili for “Blood”. The Ace of Hearts is used by the DAMU’s to identify where a Law Enforcement Officer lives.

The Ace is worth 11 points in the game of Blackjack; the eleventh letter in the alphabet is “K” which is known to stand for Kill.

Deputy Hockman has been employed and working the road as a patrol deputy for just over a year. Deputy Hockman is the son of a retired West Virginia State Police LT.

Until such a time we can discredit this as a threat, I believe this information needs to be disseminated to as many LEO’s to be aware of and cautious of in the event they run across this type of labeling.

TROOPER OF THE YEAR

CONGRATS TO OUR TROOPER OF THE YEAR!

 AAST announces National Trooper of the Year

Arkansas State Police Corporal Blake Wilson, 51, of Russellville, Ark., has been named the recipient of the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) 2008 Trooper of the Year award.  He will be presented with the award and a check for $1,000 at the AAST national board meeting on Friday, June 13, at a noon luncheon to be held at the Renaissance Charleston Hotel Historic District, Charleston, S.C.

The AAST Trooper of the Year award is sponsored by Ken Underwood, founder, president, and CEO of the National Safety Commission (http://www.nationalsafetycommission.com/), one of the nations’ leading providers of driver education services.  The company provides a variety of online driver education courses in all 50 states and has been recognized as America’s second fastest growing education company.

Wilson, a 29-year veteran of the department, is assigned to the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division, Troop J.

Wilson was selected as the national AAST Trooper of the Year from a pool of candidates from across the country.  The award was based on his skillful negotiations during a prolonged hostage standoff which began during the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2007, outside the Choctaw, Ark. (Van Buren County) Post Office.

For more than 10 hours, without sitting or stopping for food, water, or any other necessities, Wilson negotiated with a man holding a knife to the chest of the suspect’s 4-year-old daughter.  The suspect was holding the child and her mother hostage inside a pick-up truck, and at times during the negotiations, the suspect used the child as a shield to protect himself from possible action by police snipers.

Shortly before nightfall as the suspect began to fatigue, Wilson was able to take advantage of an opportunity to disarm the man, as an ASP SWAT officer moved in and applied a Taser shock to the suspect.

For his actions, Wilson was also named the Arkansas State Police 2007 Trooper of the Year in April 2008 and was one of two Arkansas state troopers to recently receive the department’s Medal of Valor Award.

“We are privileged to honor Corporal Wilson with this distinguished award for his selfless and unyielding efforts during the 10-hour negotiation process,” AAST President Tommy Moore said.  “His dedication to duty during this tense standoff was exemplary, and he is most deserving of this special recognition.”

As Trooper of the Year, Wilson and his wife will be treated by AAST and the National Safety Commission to an all expense paid trip to Charleston to receive his award. 

1949 Raymond Diehl Rd. ● Tallahassee, FL 32308 ● www.statetroopers.org ● 800-765-5456 ● 850-385-7904

 

Footysites.com

We received a great letter with a request to view a site called Footysites.com.  Check it out!

Here’s an idea of what it’s about:

http://footysites.com/

At Footy, Inc., we believe that the men and women that make up our military and safety forces are some of the most important people in our society.We are saddened by the fact that our protectors never receive enough recognition and praise that they so richly deserve.We admire an individual who takes up a weapon and confronts an enemy in a foreign land in order to protect his homeland. We admire an individual who runs into a burning building when everyone else is running out. We admire an individual who confronts a criminal face to face and puts themselves at risk to protect the citizens they serve. We admire an individual who goes off to duty every day knowing that they may not return alive. We admire the family members of our military and safety forces who live every day with the knowledge that their loved ones are confronting evil and are constantly in harms way. We believe that there is no greater gift that mankind can offer than to sacrifice their own life to protect the citizens they are entrusted to protect. John chapter 15 and verse 13 says this, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” At Footy, Inc., we are dedicated to recognizing the hard work and sacrifice made by our military personnel, our law enforcement officers, and our firefighters. At Footy, Inc., we are determined to provide a venue for our military and safety forces to show what a great job they are doing by providing a site where their videos and pictures can be uploaded and viewed by the entire world. May God bless our military and safety forces.

 Let us know what you think!

An Ounce Of Prevention

Recently, we received an article from Detective Robert R. Surgenor, Sr., of the Berea, Ohio Police Department.  I hope you will find it as compelling as I did:

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

While on patrol early one morning on one of our main streets, I observed the railroad gates going down at one of the train crossings. The lights were flashing and the bells were ringing. As I approached the gates, I observed a red Corvette approaching the crossing from the opposite direction. The vehicle stopped at the crossing and waited. I observed the front tires turn to the left, and with horror, I watched the vehicle begin to accelerate around the gates. The train was nearing the crossing, and the engineer blew his horn frantically as the car spun its tires over the tracks. The rear of the car just cleared the crossing as the train sped past.

I performed a u-turn behind the Corvette as it passed me and activated my overhead lights. The driver was a young girl with a male sitting next to her. When I walked up to the car, the young man leaned over and said, “It’s my fault officer. I told her to do it.” Although I really dislike the “would you jump off a cliff ” analogy, in this case I used it. The man, obviously upset with the inconvenience of being detained on a beautiful morning, began arguing with me and suggesting that I should be looking for real criminals. The young lady quietly handed me her driver’s license with tears in her eyes. It appeared that she was shaken a great deal by her close call with the large diesel locomotive. I went back to the cruiser and wrote the girl a citation, motivated not only by the girl’s reckless act, but also by the boyfriend’s big mouth. When I handed the girl her ticket, she quietly thanked me with tears in her eyes and slowly drove on her way.

It was almost one year later, while patrolling the city in the cruiser, that I received a radio call from dispatch to return to the station. There was a female in the lobby who wished to speak to me. When I walked into the lobby, I recognized the girl’s face, but could not remember where I had seen her. She asked me if I remembered her in her red Corvette with her loud mouth boyfriend. I immediately recalled the incident and wondered why this young lady had come back a year later to discuss her ticket. It was at that point that the girl’s bottom lip began to tremble. She looked much more familiar as tears began to well up in her eyes.

I just wanted to thank you for giving me that ticket last year,” she said. She smiled when she saw the amazed look on my face. Very seldom did anyone thank me for a traffic ticket, much less one year after the fact. The girl continued. “I just wanted you to know that I was sitting at the railroad crossing on Sterns Road yesterday…” Before she said another word, I knew what she was going to tell me. I had received news that morning that several teenagers had been killed at that crossing the previous day. The teenagers had driven around closed crossing gates and had been hit by a train. All of the young people in the car were killed immediately.

The girl in the lobby wept as she described what happened. “I was the first car at the crossing,” she explained. “When a slow eastbound train cleared the crossing and the gates stayed down, I turned my wheels to go over the tracks. It was then that I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if there’s a cop sitting on the other side of this crossing. That’s all I need is another two hundred dollar fine!’ So I stopped.” The girl described the carload of teenagers behind her, blowing the horn and encouraging her to either go across the tracks or get out of their way. She explained how she motioned them to go around.

Her description of the look of horror on the young girl’s face in the back seat of that car as she saw the train approaching from the opposite direction was vivid. She tried to explain to me her feelings as she watched the train slam into the side of the car and drag it hundreds of yards down the track. The tears ran down her face as she told me how she would never forget the screams that came from the car as it disappeared in front of the diesel locomotive. The girl then looked at me and said, “If you hadn’t given me that ticket, that would have been me!” She went on to explain how the consequence of her violation a year ago kept her from violating the law again. Her perception of the police officer’s ability to punish her for her irresponsible action deterred her from re-committing the offense. This time, it saved her life!

It’s not often we realize how those traffic citations we issue impact those motorist’s lives. This is one time I actually felt that I had done a good thing by giving that young woman a ticket. I had a completely different perspective about writing up a violator from that point on.

Stay tuned for information on how to buy a GREAT book  and DVD from this great author!

Have a great day!

A Tragic Loss

Please find it in your hearts to say a prayer for this family:  

  

Monday, Feb 4, 2008

(This information was derived  from the Arkansas State Police Website)

 Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Sergeant Richard C. LeBow, 51, of Ozark, died today at approximately 10:25 AM while on duty along Interstate 40 near Mulberry. Sergeant LeBow was a 27 year veteran of the Arkansas State Police.

“Sergeant LeBow was a living testament to the spirit and dedication that we try to instill in our recruits,” said Colonel Winford E. Phillips, Director of the Arkansas State Police. “He was ready to respond, whether it was to help a local law enforcement agency or patrol the highways in his area, we knew the assignment was in good hands when given to Richard.”

Sergeant LeBow died following a collision of his patrol car and a tractor trailer truck in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40.

Preliminary reports indicate that Sergeant LeBow crossed from the westbound lanes of traffic, proceeded across the median and collided with the truck in an eastbound lane of traffic.

Sergeant LeBow is survived by his mother Nadine, wife Kathy and two sons, Charles and Caleb.

“Our State Police family is in shock as we grieve the loss of a fellow trooper. I was personally familiar with Sergeant LeBow and his commitment to service in his community and as a law enforcement officer to the citizens of Arkansas,” said Colonel Phillips. “We ask for Arkansans to keep Sergeant LeBow’s wife, mother and two sons in their prayers in the coming days.”

Sergeant LeBow is the nineteenth Arkansas State Trooper to die in the line of duty since the department was established 73 years ago.

Retired Officers

If you know and/or love a Retired Officer, please refer to our Sister Page:

Leaving the Badge Behind

What’s Your Secret?

 

I’ve seen lately that there are many police families breaking apart.  I know it’s becoming an epidemic, almost! If you are like me (99% nosey) you have to be wondering what it is that is pulling our police families apart.    Okay, there are a lot of things.  Too many to talk about in just one paragraph.  Bad things.  Misunderstandings.  Differences of opinion.  Jealousy.  Sometimes even violence. 

But let’s do this instead:  What’s your Secret?  Let’s hear from you, one or two special things you do to keep your marriage from becoming a statistic. Write to us at STOPSpouses@aol.com, with a phrase of “Strong Spouses” in the RE: section.  You may remain anonymous or change your name.  If we use your “secret”, we will use first names only.

 Your helpful thoughts and positive comments could literally save a life, or a family.    Please help us help others.  Can’t wait to hear from you!

 Hugs.  Take Care!

A Perfect Gift for Your Hero…

Our Friend the Author Cary Friedman has done it again.  With Christmas around the corner and some of us having no clue what to get for our Heroes,  just in time Friedman writes for us the perfect answer to the question “What do I get my Hero for Christmas this time?”

This book, “Wisdom from the Batcave” is a perfect gift for any Hero.  Even if they don’t like Batman.  Seriously.  As I read it, even I (not a Batman fan) was impressed and inspired with the content.  It speaks to all of us. 

As stated by the Author, “I hope this book serves as a reminder that there are countless opportunities around us – opportunities that we encounter in our everyday lives – to be heroic.”

By the way, you should also check out other books by this Author, for your Hero and for yourself…  He’s a genius who genuinely cares about the Law Enforcement Community.

You can find this book (and others by this Author) at: http://www.batwisdom.com/.

Holiday Pricing is Now Available.

Happy Holidays!

Your Thoughts

If you have an idea for a post, or if you’d like to submit a story or experience of your own, please submit to STOPSpouses@aol.com.

We’d love to print your stories or advice to other members of police families!  We look forward to hearing from you!  You never know how your story could help others….

Thanks,

Stacey

PS.  As always, please know that your ideas and posts can be made anonymous at your request.  REMEMBER, You can still help others even while keeping your identity private in your postings.  Don’t be shy!  (smile)

Spiritual Survival

My friends, when something this good comes across my desk, I have to share it.

I’m reading a book called Spiritual Survival for Law Enforcement, and it’s really enlightening.

I know what you’re thinking; especially if you’ve read books on this subject before, but it’s not like the others.

I was raised by a Southern Baptist and a former Mormon, so when I saw that this Author was a representative of a religion I knew nothing about, I was a little skeptical. (smile)

But this book - unlike the others - is about spirituality, not religion, in the Police World.  In a tough and sometimes dark world, this book is ESSENTIAL reading material – not only for the Families, but also for the Officers.

You can find it at SpiritualSurvivalBook.com at a very reasonable price, and tell the wonderful author ”hello” from Stacey.

Happy Reading!

De-Briefing

Some of us hate "the Job". 

Just today we got an e-mail from a concerned girlfriend, worried that her man might be keeping secrets and leading a double-life, thanks to his current undercover assignment. 

He can't talk to her about the assignment, and sometimes can't talk to her at all…and she is worried.  She is suspicious.  Who can blame her?  It's a hard life, loving a police officer.

They don't always want to talk about their job, and sometimes they just can't discuss it.  Sometimes they want to just forget about it.  We have to be mind-readers sometimes to know, or…

My very favorite Police Officer's wife does this…

When her Hero gets home, they put his things away together.  They tell the kids not to interrupt them for 30 minutes unless someone is bleeding or the house is on fire.  (I know what you're thinking and that is NOT it – ha)

They go into the back yard and, him first, they discuss the day's events.  This is DE-BRIEFING.

It's a set period of time for him to vent, scream, cry, unload the stress, and for her to know he loves her and he needs her and that any mood he presents has somewhat of a valid reason behind it, and it's not her fault if he's in a bad mood.

She listens, she helps, and she hugs.  Sometimes she cries with him.  And she knows that some days he will have nothing to say, or nothing he can share because of the need for secrecy.  Sometimes he talks in circles, and she just tries to understand.  But she's there for him and he knows that.  She's listening.   Not talking.  Not judging.  Not demanding anything.  Just listening.  And it's important for him to have her… a safe place, and someone to hear him and love him and understand him.

After his day's events are laid out and discussed, she begins to tell of her day's journeys…  and sometimes she decides to save sharing the days problems for another day…  maybe she'll carry those things until a day comes when his day was not so bad. 

My point is this:  Even if you hate his job, do your best to be there for him when he needs you.  And understand those times when he can't talk about it.  Give him the time and the space, but ALWAYS make him know that you are there for him when he is ready to talk.  He needs a safe place to come home to, and you should be that safe place. 

We may not always understand the job, but if you love that Officer, you'll do your best to try.  Until then, try to BE that SAFE PLACE they need to come home to.  Be there when they need to talk, and understand when they don't want to, or if they just can't. 

It's not easy.  But it's worth it.

Inside Their Head

                                   

  Recently, I interviewed a career police officer and asked the question, “What’s the one thing you’d most like your family to understand about your job?”   The reply was most enlightening.

“I’d like them to know how hard it is to leave the job at my doorstep when I come home at the end of the day.

All day long, I live in an environment where people either hate and fear me, or respect and obey me.  Either way, I am in control, and I am the one to decide the outcome of a situation. 

Work is a place where I have to be in complete control, or else someone gets hurt or killed.  Home, on the other hand, is a place where I have to be flexible; giving up (or at least sharing) the control. 

So, to be effective in both places (home and work), I have to have sort of a ‘split-personality’. 

It gets complicated, and it’s hard to draw the line sometimes.”

Memory bracelets

http://www.nleomf.org/catHome.htm

These bracelets are a great way to show respect and remembrance for those officers who have fallen in the line of duty.  They are reasonably priced and last a VERY long time.  I have one that’s SEVERAL years old, wear it every day, and it still looks great.  Check it out…

 THIS IS MY ACTUAL BRACELET THAT I HAVE WORN EVERY DAY SINCE JUNE OF 2002; THESE BRACELETS ARE VERY VERY DURABLE AND WHAT A VALUE!

YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS PHOTO TO SEE MORE DETAIL…

 

Need help? Need Advice?

 

 

 Spouses of Troopers On Patrol is here to help!

If you have a subject you’d like to discuss, or if you need help or advice on a specific subject, please send your comments to STOPSpouses@aol.com.  Please write “STOP” in the “RE:” section of your email…

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Need a gift idea for your favorite Officer?

 

Check out PatchesInGlass.com!!!

 

 

 

Patches in Glass uses your Department or Organization Patch and stained glass to create unique, one of a kind stained glass art for your hero to proudly display. 

 

                                                            

                                                       Reasonably priced, this great gift is perfect

                                                                 for the one who has it all. 

                                                           

 

   It makes an awesome promotion

   or retirement GIFT!!! 

   Let us know what you think…