Stay Focused: Law Enforcement is Making an Impact
/We can indeed make an impact
By: Dale Gabriel
This Pennsylvania State Police Memory is actually one from just a few years back, long after my retirement. In law enforcement, it can often be very difficult to know if you are actually making an impact or not. You are typically seeing people at their worst most of the time. Car crashes, victims of crime, delivering bad news, arresting them, issuing them traffic citations. That is one of the biggest reasons I really enjoyed doing programs, working with kids.
Today's world, including many of our political leaders and the media, display not only a total lack of respect, but also a complete hatred for police officers. They seek out the worst, a very small percentage of bad things, and make it seem like this is ALL law enforcement. I try to remember and point out to my current brothers and sisters in blue to never forget that every little thing you do matters. You can make an impact on someone's life with just the smallest gesture.
A couple years back, I was at a funeral home paying my respects to a fallen local firefighter. A familiar-looking young lady, probably early to mid- 20s kept looking at me, giving me THAT stare. My wife even noticed, as long-time police wives do, and asked if I had any "dealings" with her. It was just a reminder that being a police officer affects not only you, but also your entire family.
Finally, the girl approached me and asked that "loaded" question. Are you Trooper Gabriel. Everything rushed back. I hoped that I had not arrested her or a family member. I reluctantly told her that I was indeed Trooper Gabriel, but that was a lifetime ago, that I had retired a few years ago.
She then told me that I gave her Brownie Troop a tour of our station about 16 years ago, and that I was so cool! It made me chuckle. Cool? I am not often mistaken for someone "cool." As our station's community service officer, my absolutely FAVORITE part of the job, I had put on hundreds of programs, tours of the barracks, programs for schools, scout troops, church groups, 4-H, and so many more. It was DEFINITELY my favorite thing in my career. I loved anything with kids, really. I worked steady midnights, so often; I did these on my own time just because I loved it so much.
Anyway, she went on to tell me that the program made such an impact on her. She told me that it was informative, but fun, and scary, yet exciting all at the same time. She reminded me that I handcuffed her leader, smacked something with my expandable baton, things I knew that I always did during programs. And I chuckled a bit. She went on to tell me that she remembered so much that I told her troop about what it was like to be a police officer that she never forgot, including difficult things like relaying death messages. I thought what a weird thing for a kid to remember, but that led to her telling me that her mother was killed in an accident a few years after that, and it made her think of me. While mourning the loss of her mother, she felt bad for the trooper who had to tell them.
We chatted for a few minutes. She told me she had 3 kids and can't wait for them to be old enough to do things like learning about the police as she did. She hugged me and thanked me, and told me she was happy I was retired and "never got shot or anything."
I thanked her for the memory. I am a very emotional person. Needless to say, as she walked away, I shed some tears. It served as a great reminder of how we can indeed make an impact, even when we do not realize it.
Dale Gabriel is a retired patrol and community services officer with the Pennsylvania State Police. After 25+ years of service, in retirement, he has been working on a book of his many PSP memories. He also coaches a baseball team in a Miracle League for those with special needs. He holds a communication degree with English minor from Saint Vincent College in Western Pennsylvania.
