Christmas Police Officer Story

[james13f]

A Christmas message that our Chief sent out department-wide...

My very best wishes all of you for the Holiday Season and the New Year. I want to thank you for the hard work over the past year – you should be proud of what has been accomplished in a changing and very challenging world. I am proud of you and continue to be honored to work with such a professional and dedicated group of people. A special thanks to those that have to work on Christmas and New Years Day and those who worked on Thanksgiving. Those are the times when we sometimes question our career choices because we cannot spend the same time with friends, family and loved ones. We not the only ones in that position but not many other professions are in the position of having to work – we have to continue to help people resolve conflict, injuries (physical and mental) deal with the disappointments of a time of the year that makes even small disappointments more difficult. Thanks for all you do.

Below is a story from an unknown police officer that was recently sent to me by one of our retired officers – edit name. I told edit name I would share it with you. It reinforces the importance of your work every day but particularly on those holidays when you would rather be home. Thanks to edit name for sharing it with us.

edit name


From an unknown Police Officer.............

In 1974 when I first joined the police department, I knew there would be special occasions my family would spend without me. Knowing that fact didn't make the task any easier. The celebrations I missed those first year's depressed me and sometimes made me feel bitter. Working on Christmas Eve was always the worst. On Christmas Eve in 1977, I learned that blessing can come disguised as misfortune, and honor is more than just a word. I was riding one man patrol on the 4 to 12 shift. The night was cold. Everywhere I looked I saw reminders of the holiday: families packing their cars with presents, beautifully decorated trees in living room windows and roofs adorned with tiny sleighs. It all added to my holiday funk.

The evening had been relatively quiet; there were calls for barking dogs and a residential false burglar alarm. There was nothing to make the night pass any quicker. I thought of my own family and sunk further into depression. Shortly after 2200 hours I got a radio call to the home of a elderly, terminally ill man. I parked my patrol car in front of a simple Cape Cod style home. First aid kit in hand, I walked up the short path to the front door. As I approached, a woman who seamed to be about 80 years old opened the door. "He's in here", she said, leading me to a back bedroom.

We passed through a living room that was furnished in a style I had come to associate with older people. The sofa had an afghan blanket draped over its back and a dark, solid Queen Anne chair sat next to an unused fireplace. The mantle was cluttered with an eccentric mix of several photos, some ceramic figurines and an antique clock. A floor lamp provided soft lighting. We entered a small bedroom where a frail looking man lay in bed with a blanket pulled up to his chin. He wore a blank stare on his ashen, skeletal face. His breathing was shallow and labored. He was barely alive. The trappings of illness all around his bed. The nightstand was littered with a large number of pill vials. An oxygen bottle stood nearby. Its plastic hose, with face mask attached rested on the blanket. I asked the old woman why she called the police. She simply shrugged and nodded sadly toward her husband, indicating it was his request. I looked at him and he stared intently into my eyes. He seemed relaxed now. I didn't understand the sudden calm expression on his face. I looked around the room again. A dresser stood along the wall to the left of the bed. On it was the usual memorabilia: ornate perfume bottles, a white porcelain pin case, and a wooden jewelry case. There were also several photos in simple frames. One caught my eye and I walked closer to the dresser for a closer look. The picture showed a young man dressed in a police uniform. It was unmistakably a photo of the man in bed.

I knew then why I was there. I looked at the old man and he motioned with his hand toward the side of the bed. I walked over and stood beside him. He slid a thin arm from under the covers and took my hand. Soon, I felt his hand go limp, I looked at his face. There was no fear there. I saw only peace. He knew he was dying; he was aware his time was very near. I know now that he was afraid of what was about to happen and he wanted the protection of a fellow cop on his journey.

A caring God had seen to it that his child would be delivered safely to him. The honor of being his escort fell to me. When I left at the end of my tour that night, the temperature seemed to have risen considerably, and all the holiday displays I saw on the way home made me smile. I no longer feel sorry for myself for having to work on Christmas Eve.

I have chosen an honorable profession. I pray that when it's my turn to leave this world there will be a cop there to hold my hand and remind me that I have nothing to fear. I wish all my brother's and sister's who have to work this Christmas Eve all the Joy and warmth of the Season.