I'm posting an email I sent to my shift, primarily so that others can steal or modify it as they see fit in the unfortunate circumstances they find themselves in need. My shift is mostly younger officers, as are most middle shifts. For many of them, this is the first time they've had to bury one of their own.
Shift,
I have spoken with several of you individually but haven’t had the opportunity to speak with everyone. While I would prefer to have this conversation in person, In the days of no roll calls and social distancing, I find that e-mail will have to suffice.
For many of you, this is the first time you have dealt with a line of duty death within your own department. Even if you didn’t know Ptl. Leath personally, she was part of our family and her loss will be felt by all of us. Many of you are also dealing with the loss of a friend, and that compounds the grief. I would encourage you to take advantage of the multiple services our department officers, such as EAP, POST, the Chaplain’s Office, etc. Some of our more senior officers have dealt with this before, and I hope that they will also be resources for our younger officers dealing with this for the first time. As always, I am available to you at any time, on or off duty, as well.
I would also ask that not only do you take care of yourselves but that you monitor and care for your friends on the job. The realization that she wore the same uniform and did the same job will affect different officers in different ways even if they didn’t know her personally. If you see that your beat partners are struggling be courageous enough to reach out.
Finally, don’t forget the effects this can have on your family. It can be a horrible reminder to them of the very real dangers you face and that they have no way to influence that. That feeling of lack of control and fear can be very saddening and stressful for them as well. Remember that EAP is available to family members.
The memory of our downed officers will always be sore, but it does get better with time. We will get through this terrible tragedy with each other’s help. Look after each other and yourselves.
With respect,