(Not) Just Another Name on the Wall

     Last Friday I attended a Baltimore Orioles game with my 8 year old daughter, Leila. As we stood in line to buy ice cream there was an Army soldier in full uniform who walked past us. I could not help but notice how young he looked. If not for the uniform I would have guessed 15 at most. I must admit, I have become the "salty" veteran on the police force who finds himself more and more frequently complaining of the younger generation and how they lack the sense of respect and work ethic of my generation. But as I looked at this baby-faced soldier I could not help but swell with appreciation for him and the many young people like him who still answer the call to duty and serve their country. I have had a great life in the "land of the free," reaping the many benefits of our free society. This only occurs because of the sacrifices made by so many young people throughout our country's history who have laid down their life, unfortunately before they had barely lived, so that others like me could have a fulfilled life. 

     The following day I took Leila to Washington, D.C. to visit the Abraham Lincoln memorial. She had recently read a book about Lincoln and to my delight was very interested in learning more about him. As we made our way across the National Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial we came upon the Viet Nam War Memorial. I explained to Leila what the monument stood for and how there were over 58,000 names of American soldiers who lost their life in the war. The average age of those who died was 19. I thought about the night before and the young soldier I had seen. Leila asked if I knew anyone whose name was on the wall.  I explained that I did not and that I was born near the end of the war. We decided to randomly pick a name from the wall and honor that person. The name we chose was John Ringholm. We transferred his name onto a piece of paper and looked forward to "Googling" it when we got home  to learn more about John Ringholm and the life he lived. Sadly, what we found was a life that has all but been forgotten. John was 19 years old when he was killed in action June 24, 1970 (5 days shy of his 20th birthday). John was from Middletown, New York and from what it appears was an only child. If our research was accurate both of his parents are now deceased. One thing that was really disheartening was that when we searched his name on Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Fund page this is the image that comes up with his profile:

     The fact that a young man can give his life for his country and be so anonymous as this is heartbreaking. How many of the other 58,000 names has time forgotten? Leila and I have purchased bracelets that memorialize John Ringholm and his sacrifice so that he will not be forgotten (memorial bracelets). I invite each of you to at least visit the Viet Nam War Memorial Fund website given above and leave a reflection of appreciation for John or any other soldier.

     This Memorial Day weekend while you are enjoying the beach, cookouts, and any other activities I hope everyone finds a small moment in time to remember what the holiday is for and those who it honors.

SHAME ON YOU WRC CHANNEL 4 IN WASHINGTON, DC

     Each day when I wake up I have developed the habit of turning my t.v. on to WRC channel 4 in Washington, D.C., an NBC affiliate. I do this to catch up on the news of the day as I get ready for work. This past Monday while I was in the midst of my routine the anchor began telling of the candlelight vigil that took place at the Law Enforcement memorial the night before to honor officers who had died in the line of duty. I was happy to see the media recognizing such an important and meaningful event. That is until I realized that mentioning the vigil was merely an introduction to an "exclusive report" into police cars that have been illegally parked during police week activities. The "exclusive" report by WRC seemed to take great pride in breaking this story and trying to get a negative reaction from Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier. The reporter seemed to have the same sense of achievement in his voice as you might have expected Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to have had when they uncovered the Watergate break in.

     We in law enforcement have come to expect scrutiny from the media and for members of the media to constantly try to feast on any negative story they can find related to police officers. Police scandals and misconduct make for great stories. What they fail to realize is that so do the innumerable acts of heroism and sacrifice that officers exhibit everyday that far outnumber our misdeeds. Especially when those acts of heroism involve the ultimate sacrifice of giving ones life to protect the community for which they serve. Might the viewers of WRC have been more intrigued by some of the stories of officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in 2012? The thousands of Law Enforcement Officers who descended on the nations capitol this week were there to pay respect to the 120 officers killed in the line of duty in 2012. WRC seemed to take great pride in counting the number of cruisers parked illegally during the ceremonies surrounding police week. Perhaps they would have been better suited counting the number of children (225) who lost a parent to a line of duty death last year. Or the thousands of others before them. Surely, no one from WRC took the time to walk through the memorial and get a feel for the magnitude of loss felt by so many loved ones of fallen officers, or maybe they would have seen the value in reporting a positive law enforcement story during their most sacred week of the year. The loss I describe is so evident in photos like these:

     There are 120 stories that would have been exponentially more compelling that WRC could have reported, but they missed the boat. They could have done an "exclusive" story on Park Ranger Margaret Anderson, who was shot to death by a fleeing suspect in Mount Rainier National Park on New Year's Day 2012. Maybe the story could have focused on how Ranger Anderson was working on a major holiday and sacrificing time with her family while most of the rest of the country was spending time with theirs. Perhaps the story could have recognized, as National Park Service Director, Jon Jarvis did, that Ranger Anderson selflessly "made deliberate, tactical decisions to protect the visitors at the park....she gave her life to keep the visitors safe." Finally, maybe the story could recognize how by committing this selfless act, Ranger Anderson left behind a husband and two of the 225 children mentioned above; now ages 5 and 3. She will not be there for their first day of school or their high school graduations. She will not be there to see them marry or hold her grandchildren. How unfortunate that the day after Mothers Day WRC missed an opportunity to recognize this special mother and the children her selfless act left behind. Instead, they chose the low road by seeking a story of scandal rather than heroism. Perhaps WRC could have honored Ranger Anderson with a story like this one. Or, they could have honored any one of the other 119 officers who made a similar sacrifice in 2012. Shame on you WRC. But thank you for inspiring me to make a donation to the Ranger Margaret Anderson Fund which was established to support her two small children. You may join me in donating to this great cause here.

Ranger Margaret Anderson

Mother's Day Scenes from the Law Enforcement Memorial

As many of you are already aware, this is Police Week. A week to honor the fallen heroes of law enforcement. I am so grateful to live in close proximity to Washington, D.C. so that I have the chance every year to visit the memorial during Police Week and participate in some of the events. Every year it is equally impossible to not feel the swell of emotion present during this extraordinary event. For those of you who are not able to visit this year I would like to share some of the photos I took that capture some of the events today.

Officer Molly Thomas-Bowden of the Columbia, MO Police Department was gunned down during a traffic stop in 2005. I had the opportunity to speak with her mother today at the memorial. How heartbreaking to spend Mothers' Day remembering your daughter in this way.

State Trooper Linda Huff, of the Idaho State Police Department, was shot and killed durng a gunfight with a suspect in 1998. Trooper Huff was shot 17 times; the last shot while she laid helpless on the ground. Trooper Huff was a mother of three children. This is the 15th Mother's Day her children are without their mother.

Too many names continue to be added to this wall year after year.

The Children: The following photos speak for themselves.

The Police Unity Tour:

The Police Unity Tour is a bike ride from New Jersey to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. by law enforcement officers whose purpose is to raise awareness of police officers who have died in the line of duty. Its motto is "We ride for those who died." The second purpose of the unity tour is to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum. Over 1600 people participate in the tour each year. It was an honor to be there to witness those who rode in the tour this year as they finished their ride at the memorial. We have made a donation to the this outstanding cause and encourage you to do so as well.

There is something about the roar of the motors in the distance and listening to it get louder and louder the closer they get!

To all of the Mother's out there we hope you have had a well deserved wonderful day! Please keep the memories of all the officers who have given their lives in the line of duty alive and pray for their families.



The Best Cop I Have Ever Known

 

  In 1993 as a rookie officer just cut loose from the FTO program I was called to assist the narcotics unit with transporting a suspect they had just arrested during an undercover operation. Growing up all I had ever wanted to do was be a plainclothes/undercover officer so this was like getting a chance to meet your favorite celebrity. I was very nervous when I arrived on the scene, hoping not to say or do anything embarrassing in front of the narcotics detectives. Several of them were going about their business and generally appearing completely ambivalent about my presence. It was clear that I was nothing more than a taxi service for them and they had no interest in acknowledging me otherwise. But then one of them emerged from the crowd, walked straight up to me, gave me a firm handshake, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "How you doing, my name is Steve Matthews, thanks for helping us out." Steve went on to spend about 10 minutes briefing me about their investigation, showing me the crack they had just purchased and explaining to me common methods of operation for drug dealers. I received more of an education in real police work in those ten minutes than I learned in six months at the academy. Obviously, Steve did not have to take the time to make me feel important or give me an invaluable lesson that made me a better cop. But he did. And over the course of the next 20 years I witnessed him take the time with countless other young officers and make them better too. That is because Steve is the ultimate team player. Never looking for personal recognition but always wanting to be involved in a team effort to get the job done.

     I have always marveled at Steve's ability to seemingly fill each day with about 28 hours instead of 24 like the rest of us. That is the only way I can explain how he does all the things he does. Somehow he seems to be tirelessly working the scene of a homicide or conducting an intense surveillance while at the same time attending one of his daughters activities, preparing a Santa sleigh ride for his community, helping a neighbor, and any of a number of other things for other people at the same time. He is simply someone you can rely on and who can never say "no" or "I would love to but I am already doing something else." He just finds a way to make it happen and get the job done.

     As a police officer there is no one with more passion for what he does. He poured his heart and soul into every case whether it was a shoplifter or a murder. He led by example, always giving 100% and letting his teammates know he could be relied on no matter what. We worked together on a plainclothes surveillance team for several years. Steve was the guy who would take the "eye" on a business during a night time commercial burglary detail and keep it all night if you asked him to. Never complaining and always staying glued to the place he was watching. If you don't comprehend how impressive this quality is try going to a local shopping center tonight around midnight and parking somewhere in the dark. Sit in the same place until about eight o'clock tomorrow morning without getting out of your car. Make sure your car is turned off no matter how hot or cold it gets so that you don't blow your cover. And whatever you do, don't take your eyes off the business your watching because if you do you just might miss it getting burglarized. That means no reading, watching movies, etc. And oh by the way, you figure out what to do if you need to go to the bathroom.

     When we started our police training company Steve was the first instructor we asked to work for us because of the obvious qualities I have described above. The last class Steve helped us with was last month, just a few days after he was hired for his new job and announced his retirement from the police department. When the class was over a veteran officer attending the class approached me and told me how inspired he was by the passion Steve exuded for police work and how rare it was to see someone at the end of their career have as much energy and commitment as Steve has.

     Steve Matthews sets the standard that I aspire to achieve when it comes to being a police officer, a friend and a father. There are countless times during our friendship that Steve's advice or actions have meant the world to me.  A few years ago my father, whom I was very close to passed away. It left a void in my life that can never be filled. In the days immediately following his death I received many cards and calls from friends expressing their sympathy. They all meant a lot and I have saved them all. There was one message that stood out to me more than any other. It came from Steve Matthews. Steve said, "Your job now is to become more like him." That simple statement left an enormous impression on me. My father would have turned 75 years old today. Tomorrow I will celebrate the extraordinary career of Steve Matthews at his retirement party. And each day thereafter I will continue to try to be more like my dad....and Steve!