Insignia

Reflecting on 2017

I know it has been awhile and I have a million and 1 reasons I have not been writing but this morning whenn I woke up after 3 days of the worst flu bug I have ever experienced, I started to reflect on the past year and all the thing that happened.

And I have decided, after this flu of course, to focus on the positives of last year and there so many I dont think I can cover them all in one blog.

One of the most important life changing positives was I reconnected with my sister that I had not seen or spoke with in over 30 years. There is a long sad story that was the result of this situation but we are focusing on the positive but I will say it had nothing to do with my sister and I having any issues with each other it was a matter of circumstances.

I have seen her twice this year alone. She came to the farm and a horse show here and we went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving and met her wonderful family and grandchild. I have a neice and nephew I never knew about.

This past year we were finally able to add that home to our property that was suppose to happen 10 years ago in 2008 when the property market took a tank. So after living upstairs in a very nice small apartment we now have a home and a fixed rate mortgage which was nearly impossible to get.

My husband has become a successful show rider and was able to purchase a very talented world class show horse under circumstances that made her affordable for us. He is planning on his last world show ending with cross your fingers a championship. So far he has brought home a 10th, 5th, and 4th place ribbons. Watch for him in June on live cast from Pinto World in Western Pleasure. And I think this is funny but maybe its faite but the horses name is “Uh Huh Im Good”.

I also actually had my first vacation this year in 10 years thanks to my sister and went to her timeshare in Panama City where I met my adopted parents John and Sandy who live in Florida and I haven’t seen in many years. There right on the beach Ken and I renewed our vows with John officiating.

I was able to accomplish thanks to a wonderful physical therapist, I learned how to drive with a pony and cart something I always thought would be fun. And I believe I have found and will show this year what I have been looking for, Talented, safe, quiet, show horse for myself and in the future my grand kids.

And so much more… I want to share some photos of all these wonderfu people and events.

Final Chapter

No story should be left unfinshed and there is one last chapter of my law enforcement career. But first I think it is important to say that this last stop in my career I never envisioned as goal or even a possibility. I had hope to gain rank and thought the level of Captain would be a great accomplishment if I ever reached it.

I also never intended to leave my Career Server security until I had my 25 years. Once you are in a select exempt position you serve at the whim of whoever: Secretary, Director, Governor and anyone in between. I wasnt willing to risk that security until I reach 25 years of service. While it doesnt reflect positively of my confidence in my abilities, it is a painful fact that you can and probably will be released from your select exempt position with a change in Governors.

Most of my career we had a new Governor every 4 years. I had worked hard to earn my retirement and I was sticking with the safe way to achieve it. At the time, and it may have changed but Captain and below were Career Service anything above was Select Exempt. I stayed in a Captains position for about years until I achieved that magic 25.

Well opportunity knocked on my door with a change in Governor and Secretary of the Department of Business Regulation. The Secretary decided to replace the Director of Alcohoic Beverages and Tobacco. An agency I had spent the majority of my career at.

There is much more to this final chapter and some of the most difficult challenges of my entire career lay ahead

When last I left you….

I had returned to uniform at the Park Police with the Department of Environmental Services. This agency has a great deal of authority and responsibilities. In addition to state parks they also have to handle all hazardous material calls and be prepared to contain harmful chemical spills.

Believe it or not, in many ways this agency was more para-military than the Highway Patrol. For example they had a quarter master assigned to the main office who handle all equipment ordering stocking and issuing. The bidding process alone is a lot of work but having that extra person handling all the purchase orders, and keeping a sizeable inventory of equipment is a full-time job and an excellent idea for an agency to consider.

This agency is also the most hospitable. As I traveled around to all the district offices for meetings they are almost always held at a state park and the district office usually provided lunch. Once again I was the first women Chief and as such there was the usual banter about my ability or qualifications for this job. This is something that followed me my entire career right to the end.

Initially, I saw it as a challenge to my ability but as time went on I realized it would never change. There will always be people who think women do not belong in law enforcement at all and those that swear women should never be in a supervisory capacity. And it did not really matter.

What matters at the end of the day is what you do, how you handle situations, how you treat people, the ability to project confidence in the face of adversity. Thinking on your feet and being a good officer and person to your fellow officers and an exemplary person while representing your agency. And at the end of the day you go home safe, to your family, loved ones or maybe just your dog.

My time was short with the Park Police but it was enjoyable learning new things working with largely great officers. If I can leave you with one important thought to carry you throughout your career, male or female, it is that what you do with your career, and I don’t mean promotions necessarily, but how you treat others, how well you do your job, how often you help people that truly need it, and that you always be aware of the ever possible danger you are exposed to, call it a good day and a good job done and then leave it at work.

Go home an enjoy your life. If you are young right now you think that the 25 or 30 years that you will need to work is forever. But time goes so quickly you don’t even realize your old until well…your old.

Geek Squad in repairing your computer while spying

Allegedly in league with FBI. I can tell you that what they did for me was hack my accounts put a worm in my facebook account and tried to withdraw money from one of my bank accounts.

Then after complaining they cleaned my computer….had it checked locally and local computer comapany found malware, a trojan horse, connect wise program in which they can access your bank account along with errors in registry codes.

Buyer beware and who can be trusted anymore?

How your memories change or at least the order of events

When I started the blog my intent was to chronologically go over events in the proper order but as I reflect over some of those years. Important stories with lessons to be learned, some just to point out humor and some that can save your life. And many of them seem to be from Highway Patrol days.

Or maybe, as you age, you dwell in your distant past not sure but there are a lot of lessons there to be learned because in many ways it was the most dangerous of jobs. It’s a common conception that Florida Troopers are just the agency that writes tickets and works accidents but that is far from the complete story.

In the academy, back then, there was boxing, not particularly useful because while it might have taught you what it felt like to be punched, lets face it when your fighting a suspect on the side of an interstate highway you’re not boxing with them. Its more like a grappling wrestle to get the subject subdued and cuffed.

Meanwhile this is occurring on the emergency lane of a 4 lane highway with cars buzzing by. I rarely had fights, fortunately, I calmly talked with them and eventually they were in the car cuffed. But on those rare occasions, subject usually drunk or high, the chase began. First you had to catch them and then fight while your adrenaline is up and your oxygen is down from running.

There is another lesson to be learned here for the general public as well. Once a persons adrenaline kicks in with that fight or flght response, it is very hard to de-escalate from that stage. Your blood pressure as up your body naturally prepares for battle to save your life or to flee, which is rarely an option. And to escalate things your prisoner is in the same state.

I know you have read about stories of people who developed abnormal bursts of strength during an emergency crisis. Prime example is lifting a car off a victim. it’s that adrenaline that kicks in that creates that seemingly impossible strength. Once your are in that state it’s nearly impossible to shut it off immediately.

Example: You have to run after a suspect that you got a BOLO on. Not sure what he did but reported as possibly armed and dangerous. You are now at the heighth of fight or flight, finally after a brief struggle, as he tries to get your weapon, he then abruptly sticks his hands in the air and says ok you got me.

You now have to handle him as though none of that happened. Search him, handcuff, and transport him.

Now lets switch things up a little, you are a regular person mowing your lawn when your neighbor comes out and starts hollering your kids are playing on his turf and look at the big hole they dug. He says next time he sees them he is going to teach them a lesson. Ask yourself where are you in the anger fight or flight level now. Can you just handle it now by saying, “I’ll talk with them,” as you should or are you ready to punch him for threatening your children.

Different situation but with the same level of adrenaline possible. Ask yourself how long is it going to take you to calm down or de-escalate?

In Uniform again

Once again I found myself in uniform which I had not worn since sometime in 1986. I forgot the benefits and disadvantages. The benefits are obvious: no more deciding what to wear, no more buying business suits, and dry cleaning the uniforms cut down on laundry and most cleaners were not expensive and if you needed tailoring they could usually do that to.

At this point, if your new to law enforcement your thinking what a great deal. But what you don’t think about is everything you do, every where you go, the public is observing you. Stopping to do a little shopping on the way home, not unless your just picking up milk maybe.

Sitting in a restaurant with some fellow cop friends and telling inappropriate jokes, or flirting with the waitress or waiter for us girls, big no no. Everything single thing you do is under observation every where you go.

Driving over the speed limit, plan on a call to your supervisor. Parked for a long period of time in one location, the perception is you sleeping after all your head is down while your writing reports. Looks like your sleeping.

Drive past a wreck because that ‘s not what you do, expect a complaint. People have no idea where you were headed and it might just be more important than stopping especially because you heard over the radio FHP was close and enroute.

Perspective is always there and its a quick way to get in trouble. First everyone started carrying portable cell phone cameras so they could document your actions. And now most departments issue body cams, for protection of the officers but it can work the opposite way as well and show you not where you are suppose to be,

So I ask you, do the benefits outweigh the negatives? What is your prespective.

Time to move on

I spent two years with Medicaid Fraud when the next opportunity presented itself. And once again it was an agency that I knew nothing about. But like all new experiences, new exposures, new people, and adding to your knowledge of the workings and agencies in Florida was all important and interesting. And like every new promotion that I had accepted it came with its own set of problems,

With the Park Police which falls under the Department of Environmental Protection, I came in as a Chief in that I ran that Division but was really a major in rank. The circumstances that landed me here was the removal of the former Chief who was also under investigation at the time.

In my experience, and I had a lot of it, when ever someone is removed as opposed to retiring, there is some division and resentment within the group. In hindsight, I believe I was obtaining a reputation as a problem solver. And in actually,  I’m pretty good at it. Normally I do not boast nor am I narcissistic but it is one thing I excel at and while its difficult at the beginning and requires a lot of hours and work, I am good at it.

And so the next chapter with the state begins. Park Police is an agency that has officers assigned to state parks. They have a uniform Division which is where I was and an investigative unit run by another supervisor. The most interesting section in the Department was the hazardous or environmentally dangerous Division.

In some ways they were more militarily set than most. For example I had a quartermaster. Never heard of one but a quatermaster was in charge of all equipment, uniforms, weapons. They keep a vault of equipment for issue and do all ordering and record keeping, Never heard of it by that title but it sure was helpful and took a whole load off my plate.

Interestingly while the Division was set up semi paramilitary it’s District supervisors in general, thought they were autonomous and had a general lack of respect for the Agencies hierarchy. The most effect way to address this type of issue is face to face meeting each district’s personal.

The reason is, until people can set eyes on you, hear you speak, listen to what you envision and decide if you are a strong leader or a talking head, you can never establish leadership.

So first step for me to be effective was hitting the road and visiting the districts. Hitting the road…..

Reflections

I know it been a long while since my last post and I have 101 reasons why but the point is I’m back. So far 2018 has not been the best, and this morning as I was sitting there thinking this, recovering from the flu the last 4 days, I started looking at pictures from the past year.

It gave me a snap shot of all the good that happened last year. So rather than focus on the not so good let me share some of the miraculous things that did happen in 2017.

First, and probably most notable I was able to location my little sister after 30 years. There is a 6 year age difference between us and due to circumstances beyond either of our control we lost touch with each other.

Our reunion twice this once here in Missouri and once in Tennessee where she lives with her two adult children and grandchild. The two of us were like we had never missed a day with each other, friends and sisters and as close as ever.

Then after 10 years of living above our barn, in a nice small apartment, I finally got my home. This took a lot of effort especially trying to get a fixed rate loan. But miraculously again we found a farm lender that didn’t care if the barn was worth more than the house and fixed rate we got.

And probably the other extraordinary thing that happen, thanks to my sister, was a vacation. Also first in 10 years. She loaned us her timeshare on Panama City Beach where we were able to meet up with my adopted parents who I have not seen in many years because it is such a long drive for either of us, especially them.

So while I was down a little this year for one reason our another I would rather make a conscious effort to think positively about what miraculous things are going to happen this year. I would not predict any of last years events so who knows…

I know this has nothing to do with women in law enforcement directly but it does have implications for all of you to think the impossible really could be possible.

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