It's just a Family Thing

                       

I just wanted to change the pace for a moment and get away from all the B.S. that is happening around the worLd and let you take apeekk into my family just for bit.  If you wonder how it all started, take a good look at he man on the left, that is my father James"Jim" W. Parker with me at age 6, with the Midland Police Department.  Dad began his career in 1958 serving the public for 39 years. When leaving the military shortly after the Korean War,  Dad returned to the Rio Grande Valley, and found a job as a salesman with "Bledsoe Music Store,"  selling pianos, he worked there for a couple of years before making the switch to Law Enforcement in 1957. He applied for and went to work for the Harlingen Police Department. I was six at the time and I remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday. One memory I recall was when he would come home for lunch, he would crank up the siren, his notice to me that he was home for lunch and to scamper home if I wanted to see him. I ran as fast as my two little legs would carry me. I would run and dad would be standing in the front yard waiting for me to appear. As I rounded the corner I would run straight to him and make the leap of faith, right into his wide open arms. He would swing me around in circles making me dizzy. I think I am still affected by the spins, because I have been accused of being a little dizzy to this date. I can't remember exactly when, but dad excepted a job with the Midland Police Department. I want to say it was latter part of the year of 1958, because all I could remember was it was snowing like crazy when we moved to our little house on Kentucky street.  I also remember the school was only two blocks away, so I had to hoof it everyday.  During the summer, my Granny who lived in Abilene came to visit us. "Granny" as I so fondly called her, would spoil me, so the rumor was. The one thing that I remember my Granny for was she made a  police uniform, exactly, and I mean exactly like my dad's uniform. The uniform was made out of one of my dad's uniform. When I first saw what she made, my head swelled as big as the biggest melon. I  had the police hat, a real Midland P.D. issued badge, a hand tooled leather "Sam Browne" with a holster a cap pistol, the belt keepers and handcuff case. Unknown to me, my dad had sought and received permission from the Chief of Police to make me the police department mascot, so I was told. My privileges were I could hang out around the squad room, sometimes, if the jail was empty, I could go and visit the jailer. I got to ride in the Police units,  just to go get donuts however. I also would wear my uniform to school! Yes to school, and I would be ticked off if I was not allowed to wear my uniform everyday, but my mom would control how often I could wear it.   Finally it went to my head just a little to much when one day, I was going to "ARREST' a classmate for something stupid.  Guess what, That was the last day, I wore my uniform to school to say the least, in addition, my dad sorta busted my butt, just as a reminder that my behavior was out of line.  He was good at that you know.

Shady and Justin
1986
McAllen Police Department

So when anyone ever ask me why I got into law enforcement, I said I had no choice, it was in my blood, I loved the work, and I loved the people associated with the profession.  So why in the world people asked me, why did you work 14 years for the rail road instead of being a police officer. The answer was "my dad did not allow me to be an officer." First off he said, you WILL get your education, plus there is absolutely NO money in law enforcement." (right again)  I worked part time for the railroad, went to college for 2 years.  Well to say one thing, the money on the railroad was great,  so I left school and went to work full time for Missouri Pacific Railroad as a brakeman. In 1972 I changed over from brakeman and became a "locomotive engineer trainee." The "old heads" as they were known on the railroad started retiring at a rapid pace, so Missouri Pacific came up with a quick solution in those days. A 6 month training program. (another story for another time). The bottom line was I went through the program,  took my final examination in Little Rock Arkansas, and was promoted to Locomotive Engineer in 1973 at the age of 21, very young to be driving a choo-choo train. I was an engineer for 14 years or so, but the call of the "Cop" was getting louder and louder and greater than my love for the railroad. . Every time I would see a highway patrol unit go driving by, I wanted to be in the front seat going with them.  My wife knew of my desire to be a police officer, but my loyalty to my family came first. One day in conversation she told me that the McAllen Police Department was hiring and giving the entrance test. They had 15 vacancies to fill. My wife encouraged me to go take the test. I drove to McAllen and took the test. After the testing period I was notified that I had passed. The complete hiring process took about 6 months, the final stage was the oral board, I passed it and was hired. 26 years later I had to step down from a job, that I love dearly, a job I respect and honor. Now my son has started his career in law enforcement, following his Grand Dad, me, and his uncle into a very noble and honorable profession, I hope he enjoys it as much as I have. So far he is into his into his sixth year, so I guess he likes it.  Like I told him, you will never get rich, but the life and satisfaction of public service is one that will make you proud. My dad passed away and I know that he is watching down on his grandson, keeping an eye on him. I know that Dad is proud of his two sons and grandsons who proudly carried on the tradition.

 

The tradition continues.



So until the next time........I will see you at the cross roads, God Bless You and may God Bless America.

"Shady"

"Black January - The War on Police Officers"

To say that January has been a horror for Police Officers would be a gross under statement, as of today 15 Police Officers have been killed in the line of duty. Officers from 8 different states. 11 were shot in a 24 hour period.  I think I would prefer to say the Officers were killed in action, because it has turned into an all out war in some areas, the GOOD against the BAD. All I can say is I know all of the families have the thoughts and prayers of our Nation. The questions that has been flying around on the news agencies is, "why are we seeing this pattern of violence?  One answer is, no respect for the Police Officer any longer. Nobody has The right  answer. Some of it I guess is the economics, lack of resources to provide for their family, so they turn to the drug business, could be a part of it, not wanting to get caught, so they shoot it out with the Officers, who the hell knows; even so, their is no justification in shooting it out with the Police.  

I just wish I had some type of answer, I wish somebody had some type of solution. When you are sworn in, you know the possibility

To Protect & Serve

exists you could become a name on the WALL.  All of the training you get, can not preveent you from getting your name etched on the wall, but it sure helps.  As an airline pilot, you have to train and learn new tactics. No difference, would you want a pilot who does not keep up with training, NO, same thing in Law Enforcement, you want a well trained seasoned officer answering your calls for service. Just like the pilot, you have to start somewhere, Police Officers get tagged with being a "ROOKIE", I am not sure what they call a new pilot, but you get my drift. It takes time, desire and dedication to your job and good training to become a professional Police Officer. I heard on one of the news channels that maybe the Officers were killed because of the lask of training. No, not in my opinion. Officers and Deputies in Florida receive excellent training, some of the best in the nation. The problem is, if someone wants to kill an Officer that bad, he will kill an Officer no matter what. The crook will just ambush you, and.......he will shoot you down like a sick dog, plain and simple. The Police Officer has protocol (rules) to follow, is your life in danger, or is the life of another officer or an innocent third party in danger, you have some major decisions to make in the time it takes to snap your fingers. I would like to have say the Officers have 10 to 20 minutes to decide if they are going to squeeze the trigger, or not. It just not work that way. If you hesitate and make the wrong choice, someone is going to your your house and knock on the door to advise your wife that her husband is dead.  It is the most difficult thing in the world to have to do,  Officers are not allowed to make a mistake in the use of deadly force, because if they do, they are the ones sitting in prison; the bad guy just shoots and hopes he does not get caught, period.  He has no Policy and Procedure to worry about.   The bottom line is,when you have bad guys with no morals and view killing a Police Officer as a badge of honor they can wear,  we will continue to have Officers shot and killed.  Janurary has been a horrible month.  Is this a war against police, in my humble opinion it

has always been a war; It been a war on a daily basis, and has been a war since Sir Robert "Bobbie" Peel introduced the Police Officers (Bobbies) to the London streets in (sic) 1829 they were first called (Peelers).  Is there a consorted organized effort to go out and kill Police Officers, I do not know for sure, maybe, I certainly hope not, but we are off to a bad start to say the least. The only organized effort I know of to kill Police Officers and Military,  is in Mexico. The cartels are waging an all out assault on the few good and honest Police Officers willing to tow the line, but the cartels are killing anyone in their sights. There is a chance that this violence will spill over our borders even more if the Obama administras does nothing to secure our borders. So far he has done nothing, not one thing. An administation in MOTION stays in MOTION, an Administration at REST, stays at REST, Obama is at REST along with his alleged  secretary of homeland security Janet Nopolitano who is incompetent.  Someone who was the Attorney General from 1999 to 2002 and Governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009 has shown she does not care one bit about securing the border. She is letting the Sheriffs Department and other units like the Arizona Border Narcotic Intelligence Unit and the Border Patrol fight it out with the dopers. These guys are are front lines of defense.  All it takes is sending few thousand troops to assist these guys and you would see a disruption of traffice in those areas. You are not going to stop them at all, but a disruption is victory. To continue to do nothing is shameful, another Border Patrol Agent, Sheriffs Deputy or City Police Officr that dies in the line of duty because this administration refuses to do nothing is criminal.

I doubt we will see a change, in this administration, we as a Country can not stand idle for 2 more years, we must stand united and demand our Borders be secure. We must stand together in 2012 and make sure this man is not is not re-elected. Send him back to Chicago.

Well my friends I close by saying please pray for our Police Officers and our Troops, they are protecting our basic freedoms.

Until next time, I will see you on down the road, God Bless You and God Bless America,


Shady