LEGACY: WHY WE WRITE …our lasting attempts to make the world a better place.

By: Joel E. Gordon

One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time. – Carl Sagan

It should come as no surprise that many of us with backgrounds in law enforcement find enjoyment in the act of expressing our thoughts in the written word. We spend our careers documenting everything from our activities to our investigations while justifying our actions along the way. We develop our skills in such a way as to conform to legal requirements for use in criminal proceedings and trials. We become increasingly thoughtful and insightful as we continue down our chosen paths.

According to the Strong Interest Inventory, which is used in career selection and assessment, many of those best suited to a career in law enforcement score highest in the categories of Social, Enterprising and Realistic. Social people are responsible, humanistic and concerned with the welfare of others. Those who are enterprising have a great facility with words which they frequently put to effective use in leadership roles. Realistic individuals deal in practical truths. Being service-oriented, it becomes our desire to try and make our world a better place through the sharing of our observations and solutions so that we can continue to add value to the world around us.

How many times has a law enforcement professional said that they should write a book about their experiences on the job? Some of us have done so. Others become columnists or submit articles we think will be of interest to publications such as the Blue Magazine.

In my case I have embarked down all three literary paths. I have written a book which chronicles my career, been chosen as a featured columnist for a regional newspaper and been given the honor to have the opportunity to write for Blue magazine. Those of us with literary skills have already mastered the art of police-style technical writing. That is, we endeavor to say exactly what we mean without risk of “double meanings” or misinterpretation by the reader. We then continually strive to put our abilities to their highest and best use.

When I finally wrote my book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer’s Story, which was published in 2014, it was over 30 years in the making before I actually took a year to write it. I did it because I wanted my story to be told. I wanted others to be able to learn from my experiences and gain insight into my life behind the badge. Beyond that, I wanted to leave a legacy for future

generations of my family, many of whom I won’t live to see, so that they will be able to share in my thoughts and life experiences and maybe gain a little more understanding into their own lives and feelings as well.

Writing both columns and magazine articles continues to be a rewarding endeavor, as well. It’s really a labor of love. Generation of ideas for topics of interest is as much fun as “putting pen to paper” and expanding those ideas into works of value to others. (I say “putting pen to paper” as a throwback concept as I use both my smartphone/tablet and laptop computer).

My fellow writers and contributors to the Blue Magazine and other publications must know of what I speak. Years ago, I decided to start a Facebook group called Police Authors Seeking Justice in light of the war against the police in my native Baltimore and throughout our nation. I envisioned a forum where police authors and commentators could share their thoughts and works while banding together as a force for good and support for law enforcement in general. It was through creation of this group that I was introduced to the Blue Magazine and many of you and have been given additional forums for my writings as a result. I am honored to have ascended to become the current Managing Editor of the Blue Magazine – the Independent Voice of Law Enforcement as well as a regular online columnist for the magazine and its readers.

I enjoy the writings of fellow brother and sister police authors. I have found that both our differences and commonalities in experiences serve as an inspiration while demonstrating the breadth and depth of our law enforcement family. I encourage all law enforcement professionals who have the inclination to author to do so. After all, there is strength in numbers and as we stand together we have many more thoughts and teachings to contribute as our world and profession continue to evolve now and into the future.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com