Sunday, November 29, 2009

Tragic


Left to Right:  Mark Renninger, Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, Greg Richards

Renninger, 39, with 13 years of law-enforcement experience, is survived by his wife and three children.
Griswold, 40, a 14-year veteran officer, is survived by her husband and two children.
Owens, 37, who spent 12 years in law enforcement, is survived by a former wife and a daughter.
Richards, 42, who had eight years of law-enforcement experience, is survived by his wife and three children.

Details

*****
I'm so sorry for the families of these four officers, and the law enforcement community at large.  I'm filled with respect and gratitude for the bravery police officers show on a daily basis on behalf of strangers; on behalf of me.  Who would I be without the feeling of safety I enjoy because police officers are on duty?

Police officers have special obligations and a heightened level of responsibility is required.  They, more than most of us, have to live to a higher standard of professionalism and ethics because of the power their badge represents.  As a society we ask much of them.
I suspect the large majority live up to our high expectations. 

As a country, I wish we offerred better support to our police men and women.  We could support them with consistent and well written laws, a court system that follows sentencing requirements or is 'judicial' in passing out meaningful sentences, and a penal system that helps offenders see a different path for their life. 

No comments: