Recently, I was listening to the radio when a wonderful song by MercyMe titled, “Dear Younger Me” came on.  The lyrics are beautiful.   The song highlights how our lives and the choices we make would be different today if we could speak to our younger self. When I heard this song, I couldn’t help but think back to when I first started my career in law enforcement on October 15, 1981. Given the opportunity, what would I tell my younger self? #1. Put Family First The first and most important thing I would tell my younger self would be to put my family first.  No question about it. No one warned me of the dangers of getting too wrapped up in the job of a police officer, while ignoring my family. I spent a lot of time and energy climbing the corporate ladder, so to speak, and neglected my family.  I worked long hours, volunteered for special assignments and never said no.  I was rewarded by getting the assignments I wanted and being promoted, all at the expense of my family. When I speak to new hires today, I take the time to tell them how important it is for…

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Regan signed legislation declaring the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor his legacy of fighting for civil rights. The holiday happens to actually fall on his birthday this year. This holiday was celebrated for the first time in 1986. Day of Service In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act designating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday as a national day of service. All across our nation, thousands of volunteers donate their time in service to scores of worthy causes. This holiday has now become a “day on, not a day off.”   For police officers, every day is a “day on” in service to the communities we have been sworn to protect. The majority of people who become a police officer do so because of a strong desire to help others. It is almost ingrained in a police officer’s DNA.   In 1955, the Los Angeles Police Academy adopted the motto, “To Protect and to Serve” for their recruits. On November 4, 1963, the Los Angeles Police Department adopted this as their official motto.   Other police departments…

5 Lessons I Learned From the Old Timers (Veteran Officers) I walked into the Marietta Police Department on October 15, 1981.  I was 21 years old and excited about the opportunity to serve my community.  And I knew nothing about being a police officer. I attended basic mandate training, received instructions from my Field Training Officer and learned from experience in the school of hard knocks. Our department was like many at that time, full of tough military veterans who joined the department in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.  I remember thinking “these guys are old.”  Many of them started at the department before I was born! Over the next several years, I worked closely with these old timers and got to know them.  Many of them served as my supervisor throughout the years. In 1988, I was transferred to Detectives.  The majority of the Detectives in the unit were old timers, hired around the time I was born.  We were as different as night and day yet over the next four years, we grew to trust each other and were a very effective unit. I retired from the department after 28 years of service.  I was hired as…