“QUOTE OF THE QUARTER”
“Sometimes you just need to knock on the door.” ~ Agt. Craig Rolain
As we come to the end of another year, I can’t help reflecting on how many of YOU have been a part of bringing God’s love to cops over the past 12 months. The shift work and long hours for cops keeps most of them from making it to church. It won’t necessarily be on a Sunday, but YOU are helping bring church to our law enforcement by your support of Code 7. You help me and our other two chaplains get into the police car each week and share/live/love out the Jesus message. Thank you!
The Weight of the Badge
There is and always will be a need for our law enforcement. Their job is very difficult. Just the other afternoon I was at a roll call, and they were replaying the events of the previous night. Hearing the calls they responded to reminded me that serving in law enforcement is not just a job, it’s a calling that comes with unique stressors.
Officers routinely encounter situations that most people never will. That night they had a house fire and were first on scene – one person died and two were injured. They had a case involving a teenager who had been sexually abused by a sibling. The same team had a traffic accident involving a fellow police officer who was cut off by another driver – both parties sustained injuries.
The emotional toll of these incidents is profound. Responding to critical incidents and dealing with the after-effects of these experiences weighs heavy on the badge.
Officers learn to detach emotionally in the moment to stay focused, but this coping mechanism has its limits. The stress of constant vigilance, the knowledge that every shift could be their last, and the need to be a counselor, parent, and comforter to the community takes a toll.
At Code 7, our mission is to bring hope into these challenging environments. Our presence during ride-alongs and our support in the aftermath of traumatic and stressful events are vital in showing officers they are not alone.
We’ve spent hundreds of hours sharing a listening ear to the full hearts of our officers. Creating an environment where officers can share their experiences without judgment is crucial and helps reduce the isolation officers often feel.
Code 7 and Code 8
Police Departments use codes for nearly everything, It is a way to say more with less. Sometimes during a critical incident saying Code Cover, or Cover Now is enough to get a half-dozen officers to your location faster than Batman.
Code 7 as you know is the police code for taking a meal break, but did I ever tell you about Code 8? Code 8 is rarely used in communication. It’s the signal for a bathroom break.
Code 8 is a critical part of an officer’s 10 or 12-hour day out in the field.
A local church, Eastlake Church, recently opened its doors to the police to use their restrooms 24 hours a day. They installed special combination locks and offer a safe and clean restroom experience. Our cops are happy to have this luxury and not have to use a gas station toilet. Whew, that was close… thx 🙂
HOT – Homeless Outreach Team
I spent a day with the Homeless Outreach Team and had a true eye-opening experience! The team started their day by following up on complaints that had come in since their last shift. The team made contact with the business owners and residents who had called in regarding the homeless “camping”, as they call it, on private property, sleeping in front of business entrances, trash piled up, urination in public and general unwanted behavior.
Next, the team circled around town looking at the known problem areas they had recently cleaned up, and then drove around to see if they could spot any new areas where groups were gathering and potentially forming a new spot where resources may be offered in the future.
The officers had spread the word the previous week that mobile showers, nurses, and resource providers would be available at a designated time and location. These free, safe, and clean showers are an example of the HOT team offerings every couple of weeks.
I wish more people living on the streets would take advantage of opportunities like this. The choice to live on the streets and have limited responsibilities is appealing to so many. That along with mental illness and drug use, fuels a social challenge for us all. Prayer is needed for the HOT team as their hearts are so big to help. With such a limited response to all that is available to the needy, they can easily become discouraged in their work.
In Conclusion
The Code 7 mission is to support law enforcement personnel by offering hope, encouragement, and practical assistance in the workplace. Our service is compassionate, supportive, and often reflective, with an emphasis on the human side of law enforcement work.
Thank you for taking the time to read through these stories. Thank you for your interest and financial support for the work of Code 7.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (NLT) Proverbs 11:25