Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Remembering Jim

Hi! Before I get to relating my usual cycling shenanigans, I just wanted to remind you that I'm still raising funds for the 2015 Police Unity Tour!

A little over 10 years ago, I was out of college and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I had vague thoughts of working for some criminal policy think tank, but the string of temp jobs I was currently working had turned me off of office work. I wanted to be outside, I wanted to be around people, and I didn't like playing office politics. Staring at a computer screen for 8 hours a day was killing me with boredom.

Luckily I had a friend with a solution. His name was Jim. We weren't close friends, but we ran in the same social circles & and we were LiveJournal buddies (before there was Facebook and Twitter and Blogger, there was LiveJournal. I will posting a few excerpts from his posts; I do so without any permission, and I hope Jim's family won't mind. I didn't know who to ask). Jim had just joined the Metropolitan Police Department and was going through the academy. He loved it.

He wrote about his adventures, and I followed every word. He graduated and was assigned to the First District, and his stories changed from enduring the physical challenges of the police academy to life on the street. His stories were hilarious. He obviously loved his job. Did I mention he was attending law school too? That's insane. At that time, a rookie police officer could easily put in 12+ hour days working their shift plus court commitments. To attend law school classes on top of that is amazing, and showed the dedication that he had. It wasn't a surprise at all when he was made Rookie of the Year for the First District. Jim was proud of being a police officer, and it showed. Even on a "bad" day, he was still proud of what he was doing.

Jim knew I was suffering a slow death in my temp jobs, so one day he sent me an email: "Wanna join MPD?" I thought he was crazy. Me, a police officer? He told me that he thought this would be the perfect job for me, and that he would be a reference for me. I thought it over....and put my application in. In March of 2005, I was accepted into the Metropolitan Police Department Academy and began my career. I fully credit Jim with giving me the confidence and the nudge to apply.

While I was in the academy, Jim was still busy policing the busy streets of the First District. His patrol area included the National Law Enforcement Memorial, and I remember him writing about how seriously he took that duty:
I had one person ask, so let me extend this to everyone. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is on my beat (and I make sure its safe and skateboarder free) so if anyone wants a rubbing and can't make it down here let me know and I can get it for you

One thing Jim wanted very much was to become a bike patrol officer. He begged his Commander to allow him to attend a training class. The Police Mountain Bike training certification is a coveted and difficult certification. The physical skills required to obtain the certification are some of the most challenging on the department. There's often a waiting list to get into the class. Unsurprisingly, Jim managed to get into the class.

I remember him talking about how excited he was. It was August. It was very hot. I was still in the academy.
So today was my first of five days in mountain bike school.

It hurt.

It was hard.

It was full of rain, mud, scapes, crashes, bumps, brusies, sun burn, and pain.

And it was a damn lot of fun.

The first thing we did was the usual administrative nonsense (sign this, write that, read this, agree to A B and C etc.), then we learned how to work and do basic maintence on our Smith and Wesson bikes. Then we went riding. We tackled small hills (and at the begining, before I figured out how the gears work, I couldnt do even small hills), then long rides, then hills again. Hills suck, but the long rides were fun. I believe I drank over 7 liters of water all told... and I was still wanting for more towards the last half of the ride (Monica you thought the 3 liter camelback was to big!)

After my intial gear working issues I def kept pace with the group. They tell you when you start the class that its all mental... and it is. I refuse to fail, and so far I've been doing well. Will power and gel pads. I'm not sure when gel pads became the rage, but I found shorts with gel pads and gloves with gel pads, both of which def helped with my overall post-class comfort.

Tommorrow: Big hills.

It was a hot afternoon, and I was in the academy's gym when there was some sort of disturbance. I wasn't sure what was going on. I just saw our instructors huddled together, whispering something. They looked worried. I heard whispers of an officer getting sick? Hurt? Going to the hospital? I didn't know. I just knew I had to get through this defensive tactics class.

It wasn't for a few days before I realized what happened. That the "sick" officer was Jim. And that he died.

Jim died of hyponatremia. He became ill on the 2nd day of the class and began vomiting. The instructors assumed he was dehydrated and gave him water to drink. They didn't realize that was the problem. Jim had drank so much water to prepare for the class, he had diluted the sodium concentration in his blood. His body began to shut down. Paramedics were already on the scene treating an officer that had injured his knee when Jim started having convulsions. They rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. He fell into a coma and never woke up.

Jim was my first Line of Duty death. The Washington Post story about his death is here. I still check Jim's livejournal from time to time. If anything, it reminds me of why I became a police officer on the days when I start questioning everything.  Jim's enthusiasm and dedication to his duties still shines on.

Jim is why I became a bike officer. I couldn't help but think of him while I went through the same class he did.

It breaks my heart every time I am at the Memorial to see his name there. This was his beat! He should be patrolling it, not carved on it. None of those names should be there. But there they are. They are a reminder of the price we all pay for peace and order.

Jim was very lucky. He died doing what he loved. Even after death, he continued to serve his community.

I wish I could say that Jim is the only friend/coworker of mine up on that Memorial, but that is not the case. The Law Enforcement Memorial is one of the few memorials that keeps growing every year.

This is why I ride. Every dollar that is raised by the Unity Tour goes to the upkeep and preservation of the Memorial. It goes to preserving their legacies, and supporting their families. Please consider donating today (please be sure to include my name, Kathleen Coffey, under the rider information).



Wednesday, April 1, 2015

It's a...

First off, let me assure you I do not participate in April Fool's Day foolishness. You can read this post in safety. I can't make that assurance for the rest of the internet, however. Browse at your own risk today.

The Husband and I found out the sex of our little alien. It's a.....
.
.
.
.
.
Boy!

Honestly, I had no preference either way. I just want a healthy, happy child. Everything looked good at the anatomy scan, so that was reassuring. We haven't decided on a name yet, but we probably won't reveal it anyway until after the baby is born.

I am now 21 weeks along and halfway through! Time really is flying. I really need to buckle down and start making lists of things we'll need to do and buy. It's a bit overwhelming. I did find out something interesting: the hubster is very much AGAINST cycling with children in a city. I may have some serious research and convincing to do. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Speaking of bridges (see photo below), we made a trip to visit Bass Pro Shops for camping supplies last weekend. I am determined to do an overnight bike camping trip before the baby is here. The husband has never been camping before, so I'd like for him to come along as well. He seems intrigued by the idea, even though he'll probably drive to the campsite rather than bike. I think a simple overnight trip will be manageable for the both of us.

 See, isn't the outdoors FUN? If you're not falling off a bridge, there's a bear waiting to maul you! This was an actual display at Bass Pro Shops. Way to sell nature, guys. 

Happy Spring! The weather finally seems to be catching up, and I feel comfortable getting back into the groove of bike commuting again. To help keep me on track, I pledged to ride my bike every day for 30 days in the month of April (again). I've done this the last few years. It's a great way to kick off spring riding. Today's ride was glorious. Sunny, clear, and warm(ish).

April is also when I start going to into high gear for Police Unity Tour fundraising. You can check out entries from previous years about my experiences riding with the Police Unity Tour. It's amazing. I encourage you to check out these videos that were filmed during our ride last year to get an idea what it's all about.  This year I won't be physically riding WITH Chapter IV, but I am still a registered rider. I plan on putting the miles in. If the weather is decent, I'll be at Hains Point May 10th, 11th & 12th riding in circles.  You can join me! If the weather is crappy, I'll be on my trainer at home.

I have a fundraising goal of $1750 by the end of this month, and I could really use your help reaching it. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be talking about the National Law Enforcement Memorial (to which the funds raised go towards) and the importance of organizations like the Police Unity Tour.

Most importantly, I want to talk about the law enforcement officers that I personally worked with whose names are now up on the wall at the Memorial.

You can read more about the Memorial here.

The profession of policing has come under fire recently. Confidence in our law enforcement institutions is probably at the lowest its ever been. You might be asking yourself why you should support anything to do with policing. The answer to that is simple; it is more important than ever to support law enforcement officers. There are over 750,000 sworn law enforcement professionals in this country; 750,000 men and women that perform their job duties in a professional, ethical and compassionate manner every single day. As important as it is to identify and correct problem officers and policies in law enforcement, it is just as important to recognize that those problem officers are a very small minority. When we are doing our jobs well, no one notices. And that's how it should be--it means that things are GOOD.  No one calls 911 because they are having a good day. Generally, if the police are involved it means something went terribly wrong. Those 750,000 professionals that do their jobs well need to know that they are valued and that they are needed; they need to hear this from you.

Policing is often a thankless job. Police officers are called upon to do things that most citizens will never even consider. It's not just a cliche that while most folks run FROM danger, police officers run TOWARDS it; and they do it for you.

Do you know what happens after an officer handles a robbery call or an assault call or a child abuse call or any other of the myriad terrible, awful and sometimes traumatic calls that police officers handle?

They take the next call.

Think about it. Think about the most awful, horrible thing that's ever happened to you, or you've been witness to. Think about your reaction. Could you keep going on with your day? Could you handle another incident?

For those of you new to this blog, I am a patrol supervisor (I was a patrol officer for 9 years prior to being promoted). Tonight, three of my officers were assaulted and injured while handling an assignment. Minor injuries, but not insignificant. Do you know what they will be doing tomorrow?

Taking the next call and doing it again. And it's only the beginning of the week.

Being a police officer is not simply a job or a career. It is a Calling. It requires a certain strength of character. It requires a thick skin. It requires empathy, not sympathy. Strength, not brutality. Courage, not ego.

Most of all, it requires your support and your trust. Otherwise, our role is meaningless. Our job is nearly impossible if we do not have the support of the public behind us. Police Officers ARE citizens. We are YOU, and you are US. Those names on that wall? Those are YOUR brothers and sisters too.

I will continue to talk about this in the next few weeks. If you would like to make a donation to the Police Unity Tour, you can do so here. Hopefully I will have a direct link on the sidebar soon. Please be sure to include my name (Kathleen Coffey) as the rider you are supporting.

I'd like to leave you with some statistics that were just released by the FBI: (pardon the all-caps and robotic phrasing. This was a teletype message).

FIFTY-ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN KILLED DUE TO CRIMINAL ACTIONS. 

DURING SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2013, 27 OFFICERS WERE SLAIN. CIRCUMSTANCES

INVOLVING THE 51 OFFICERS SLAIN IN 2014 ARE AS FOLLOWS:  11 WERE ANSWERING

DISTURBANCE CALLS (1 BEING DOMESTIC-RELATED), 9 WERE PERFORMING TRAFFIC

PURSUITS OR STOPS, 9 WERE AMBUSHED, 7 WERE INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS PERSONS OR

CIRCUMSTANCES, 4 WERE INVOLVED IN TACTICAL SITUATIONS, 2 WERE PERFORMING

INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES, 2 WERE HANDLING PERSON(S) WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, 2

OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED IN DRUG-RELATED MATTERS, 1 WAS PURSUING ROBBERY

SUSPECT/RESPONDING TO ROBBERY IN PROGRESS, AND 4 OFFICERS WERE ATTEMPTING OTHER

ARRESTS.  SEVENTEEN OF THE 51 VICTIM OFFICERS FELONIOUSLY KILLED WERE EMPLOYED

BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTH, 14 IN THE WEST, 8 IN THE MIDWEST, 8

IN THE NORTHEAST, AND 4 IN THE U.S. TERRITORY OF PUERTO RICO. FORTY-SIX OF THE

51 VICTIM OFFICERS WERE KILLED BY SUBJECTS USING FIREARMS (32 HANDGUNS, 9

RIFLES, 2 SHOTGUNS, AND 3 FIREARM TYPES NOT REPORTED).  FOUR VICTIM OFFICERS

WERE INTENTIONALLY KILLED BY SUBJECTS USING MOTOR VEHICLES AS WEAPONS.  ONE

VICTIM OFFICER WAS KILLED BY SUBJECT USING HIS/HER PERSONAL WEAPONS (HANDS,

FISTS, FEET, ETC.).  TWENTY-NINE VICTIM OFFICERS WERE CONFIRMED TO BE WEARING

BODY ARMOR AT TIME OF INCIDENT, 6 WERE CONFIRMED TO NOT BE WEARING BODY ARMOR,

AND BODY ARMOR USAGE HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED FOR 16 VICTIM OFFICERS.  THERE HAVE

BEEN 48 SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN WHICH THESE 51 VICTIM OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SLAIN. 

ALL 48 INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY ARREST OR EXCEPTIONAL MEANS.




FORTY-ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. DURING SAME

TIME PERIOD IN 2013, 49 OFFICERS WERE ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. CIRCUMSTANCES

INVOLVING THE 41 OFFICERS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED IN 2014 ARE AS FOLLOWS:  26 WERE

INVOLVED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS, 6 WERE INVOLVED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS, 5

WERE FATALLY STRUCK BY VEHICLES, 2 WERE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT, 1 DIED FROM SMOKE

INHALATION, AND 1 OFFICER DROWNED.  EIGHTEEN OF THE 41 VICTIM OFFICERS

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED WERE EMPLOYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTH, 12

IN THE WEST, 7 IN THE NORTHEAST, AND 4 IN THE MIDWEST.