I did not know the four fallen Oakland officers personally and I haven’t been a member of law enforcement for three and one-half years, yet time and distance doesn’t diminish the feeling of family or the loss of a family member. When I started working for the California Highway Patrol we were told we are family. I was told the same when I went to work for my local police department. What happens to one, happens to all. When my parents died three weeks apart from each other, I was with CHP. I was escorted home the day my father died and several staff members checked in with me through the first week. When they learned my mother was quite ill and her passing was imminent, they quietly let me know they would be there when I needed them. During the last day of my mother’s life my one supervisor, Cori, checked in with me almost hourly.
When two of my co-workers, both breast cancer survivors, walked in the Avon 3 day walk everyone stepped up to support them — walking with them to practice, fund raising and going out during the walk to encouarage them.
At my local police department, the day my kitty MaiTai who was at least 20 died, they sent a department chaplain out to stay with me. They understood that for me, my cats are like my children. When one of our staff died, everyone either went to the service or stepped up to work so others could go. Of course they were also there for good times–when one couple got married a number of officers and staff also booked reservations on the same cruise ship the newlyweds went on for their honeymoon. Okay, that’s not real romantic, but the couple were the kind of people who enjoyed their friends and saw the humor in it. Even now, almost 4 years after I left, whenever I see the officers I worked with they ask about my writing, what book I’m working on and other life things. A few of them have asked to be characters in my books and one even told me the name she wants to be called.
When I heard about the shooting last weekend I was stunned. I still cannot wrap my mind around it. I don’t know if I ever will and I didn’t know them personally. It’s part of an extended family. The outreach has been tremendous — who hasn’t heard that officers from all 50 states same, that Boston PD sent 75 officers, that officers came from other countries. Dispatchers from mother departments stepped in to cover the dispatch center; officers from other departments covered the streets. They would have done it for a happy occasion as well — at my local department there were several occasions when there was a department meeting where county dispatchers and deputies took on our jobs for us.
It takes great courage to pin on a badge. It takes great courage to be the partner of an officer. The loss of those four officers has been devastating. And then when you hear about what they did “on the side” how they gave of themselves to their communities, how they helped even out of uniform, that devastation becomes insurmountable. Each was an amazing person in his own right.
You will all be missed. Rest in peace
