To our “CopTalk” Friends & Brothers in Law Enforcement
1999 is turning out to be a busy year and that’s not a good sign. Our goal at Netcops PSI is to reverse the current trend, not watch it get worse. Mark, Brent, and I will work even harder to make sure that people have the opportunity to know what they can do better!
I remind you that if you have any questions regarding personal public safety issues, you can always feel free to email or phone your questions to our office. (See the how to reach us link) We will ALWAYS be here to answer your questions, or at least refer you to someone who can.
In exchange for that I will ask you a favor. (No, don’t worry, it’s not to buy our book. You’ll do that when you’re ready.)
If you find our information valuable within our website, I simply ask you to forward it on to a friend, friends, or to family members.
The only way we can cut down on reading grim headlines in the paper, and to make positive changes to an all too common “lack of justice” in our justice system, is to be informed, and to work together. All of us need to work together.
You the people, and those who wear the uniform with a sworn oath to protect you. You the people. That makes us all one BIG group of good guys, taking on the bad guys. Let’s stop talking about it and do it.
We put quite a bit of work into our page offering free information to those who choose to read it. As I previously asked you, if you find our information valuable, please pass us on!
Our story of the week was a little on the lengthy side, but then again, so were this week’s headlines in the papers.
We’ll be back on monday with a new Tip of the week which Mark has offered to start pushing out more frequently than I’ve been doing, but in the meantime…These aren’t tips, but words that won’t hurt you to read. This weeks tip of the week is hopefully one of the last tributes we do for a long while to come.
I was thinking that along with you knowing what you can do better, it wouldn’t be bad for you to see the sacrifices that are made for you by people that you may never meet, but by people who are ALWAYS there for you. The men and women who wear the badge of the police officer, the firefighter, and the paramedic.
We lost 2 here in the last week. Both from the same city. Both wearing the badge. One a firefighter. One a cop.
We send our deepest sympathy, prayers, and repect, to the City of Oakland California, and to the families and friends effected by this loss:
The City of Oakland lost two “Hero’s” last week in unrelated incidents.
A cowardly sniper using an assault rifle from a freeway overpass, gunned down police Officer James Williams Jr. in cold-blooded murder. The bullet pierced his chest after having traveled through his body armor. Officer Williams wasn’t even chasing the suspect who killed him. He was merely searching the roadway below for evidence that had been tossed from another vehicle in a separate car chase. Williams was newly appointed to Oakland and had just graduated a few weeks ago from the police academy.
Firefighter Tracy Toomey was one of 95 firefighters who responded to a 6-alarm fire at a multi-story nightclub in the downtown area at 10:42am. The second story collapsed onto Firefighter Toomey and 2-fellow firefighters. Toomey’s partners survived, but Firefighter Toomey died of massive chest injuries.
Black bands will again be worn across our badges nationwide by cops, firefighters, and paramedics alike, to show our respect to two fallen here’s. These incident’s hit hard to all of us, because whether we knew Williams or Toomey personally or not, we knew them as “brothers of the badge”.
The difficult question that can never be answered is “why?” There will never be an answer that can place the hearts of family and friends left behind at ease. Each of us are reminded that it could have been us in that fire, or on the freeway that night that was shared with a coward in possession of an assault rifle.
The job poses an inherited risk. One that we downplay to our Mom’s and Dad’s. To our kids. To wives and husbands. To girlfriends and boyfriends. We downplay the risk to those that we love and those we are close to. But the reality is there right from the day that we graduate from the academy in our brand new shiny uniforms.
We raise our hands as we face the American flag, and with pride, we take an oath to serve and protect the citizens of this nation. We do it with pride, and it’s a feeling that can only be felt by those who stand in that place and accept that responsibility. We do it with hope. We do it with dedication. We do it with love. We do it by choice, and I’ll say it again, we do it with pride.
I can only hope that the families and loved ones left behind, can consider that my thoughts may mirror those of many who wear the badge. If God were to take me in the line of duty, from the people that I love most, it would mean most to me if they understood that I was doing what I loved to do most in this world at the time. What I chose to do. What I trained to do. What I was dedicated to do. And what I had pride in doing. I would want my family to know that although I had not planned on leaving so soon, that I will be saving them a place next to God and that we will be a family again only in a different place. I would have no regrets.
In the meantime, I know that Officer Williams, and Firefighter Toomey are with God. I know they are at peace, and I know that they had no regrets. They were doing what they loved to do. Their badges “Shine with the Brilliance of Pride” that they both had for their chosen professions.
My brother officers, James and Tracy. I wear a black stripe across my badge for you. Tears will fall over the pain of losing you but inside an inner strength will prevail and I will hold my head high with the pride of having had 2 exceptional heroes as brothers of the badge. I am proud to uphold the same oath that you took, and although you left us early, trust us that we will carry on for you where you left off. I salute both of you for your courage, bravery, and dedication to society. It will be an honor to shake your hands, when the time comes that we are all reunited.
God bless you my brothers!
God blessed us with you, and for that, millions of us “Thank You.”
