Serving our Servants - Flood Update

I had the privilege of serving as a "chaplain" yesterday at one of the checkpoints for re-entry into the flooded areas. Apparently those calling the shots thought the presence of chaplains at each location might help defuse any situations that might arise. I enjoyed serving alongside Tom Fogel, teaching elder/pastor of Cedar Valley Bible Church, and having two of us made the day more enjoyable.

But not only did Tom and I enjoy serving alongside each other, but both Tom and I were incredibly impressed by Officer Charity Hansel. When Tom and I received word as we got our assignment that they were not allowing anyone in to the restricted areas (which was a "pull-back" from yesterday's "escort" entry), we knew that frustrations might be higher than experienced the previous day (a new plan was put in place late last night which will hopefully encourage citizens and speed up the process of reentry). But Charity's attitude defused all of the situations at our checkpoint. She treated each person with dignity and respect, empathizing with them and their feelings, and yet she upheld the law as she was called to in her role. I could tell that the National Guardsmen serving at our check point were impressed with Charity, her "realness", her humor, and her respect for all people. Like them, I was honored to serve this civil servant, and my respect for the CRPD is at an all-time high.

After noon rolled around, things at our checkpoint slowed way down. So Tom and I headed over to another checkpoint that was busier. Once Officer Steven Yardley, the policeman in charge of the checkpoint, learned I was with Serve the City, he asked me to help a young couple who was stranded on the east side of the river and needed to get to a grandma's house on the west side. While I knew I could find someone to take them with a simple phone call, I figured it would take an hour just for someone to get there to pick them up, so I loaded them up myself and took them across the river. That was a great experience for me to see firsthand what so many Cedarrapidians are experiencing everyday in their travels. Traffic was backed up on I-380, as well as on Wilson Ave. (I felt like I was back in Denver on the I-25 parking lot.) As I dropped off the young couple with their two kittens and one tub of stuff (which was all they now owned), the young man turned to me and said "please thank that officer back at the checkpoint for us." They had experienced the same thing from Steven at their checkpoint as I had seen from Charity at the first checkpoint - dignity, compassion, and a respect for both persons and the law. As I watched those in line interact with Steven, I was again extremely impressed with the job Officer Yardley was doing.

When I read the KCRG article I've linked to above last night, comments were open. Many of the comments were horribly demeaning of our police department. Thankfully they've closed the comments because they weren't helping or shedding new light on the situation, but I felt that someone should know the great work our police are doing from at least one person's perspective. It truly was an honor to serve those serving our city in uniform. They are doing a great job. And while it is very likely there are a few officers on the force who don't treat others in nearly the same manner as I saw displayed by two fine police officers I worked with yesterday, our police force deserves some Kudos for the fine work they are doing overall. So if you see an officer in blue, be sure to thank them for their service.

Photo Credit: Jim Slosiarek of The Gazette