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Note: Spring/Summer 2004
Take Time for Reflection After National Police Week...and Reach Out to Those You Met Greetings to all! By the time you receive this newsletter, National Police Week 2004 will be in the past. We hope your travel to Washington, DC was a success. Many times when we return home from this event, we are feeling many different emotions. Many times the week seemed like a whirlwind experience, filled with raw emotions, a powerful sense of pride of our officers and at times painful memories. But the week hopefully will have brought you to a new understanding of the COPS family as well, meeting other survivors in similar situations as you find yourself. Many incredible bonds are formed during police week, and we encourage you to make contact with any new people you may have exchanged phone numbers or email addresses with. No one knows better what you are going through than another survivor. Many times survivors get home and experience an "empty" feeling. This is normal. Let's face it, you just left an event where everyone "gets" what you are going through. Then you return home to your "normal" life where very few people understand the grief and trauma of losing a law enforcement officer. Be gentle with yourself through this process. It takes many weeks to process everything that happened there. And remember, you have your Ohio COPS family here at home to help you in any way we can. We are just a phone call away. There are so many things happening with this chapter. As we move forward with our mission, many new agencies are learning of the work we do. Our Line of Duty Death Manual continues to be a very popular item. We are doing much work with the legislation trying to get health benefits for all eligible death benefit survivors. PERS is still our only holdout, but the Ohio Retirement Study Council is looking into this situation and hopefully will resolve this wrong. To read more about it, you can find information on our website. We have been invited to many conferences in our state. The Ohio Crime Prevention Association, Blue Knights Conference, The OACP and the FOP have opened their doors to us. We have much work to do, but it takes time. We will just keep working to make the lives of our survivors better. We look forward to seeing all of you at our functions. Please make a note on your calendar to attend.
God bless, stay safe, and take care of one another. [ return to top ] Annual Picnic/Meeting Coupled with 2nd Annual Poker Run
Directions to Hoover Y Park: From I-270, take Exit #49 (Alum Creek Dr.) and head south. At Rohr Road, turn right (west) and the part entrance is off of Rohr Road. For more specific info, call the park at 614.491.0980. [ return to top ] New Police and Fire Memorial Dedicated at the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Building in Columbus, OH On April 28th, the new memorial was unveiled at the OPF building located at 140 East Town St., Columbus. It is the first statewide memorial dedicated to Ohio's police officers and firefighters who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. With permission from the OPF and memorial park committee, Ohio COPS will hold a candlelight vigil and tree lighting ceremony on the park grounds the night of our Blue Light Remembrance event. The trees will be adorned with blue lights and will stay lit the entire holiday season to pay tribute to our officers who have died in the line of duty, and for those who continue to put on the uniform each and every day. Memorial bricks and pavers are still available for you to purchase to show support for our men and women in blue. Contact the OPF for more information - 888.864.8363. [ return to top ] I Am Here - a Poem Dedicated to Ohio COPS
If ever there's a time when the world seems too rough,
For I am a friend so much different than the rest,
And if there's something special that you may need,
When you need a cheerful voice to help you carry on,
Bringing you hope, peace, love and healing forever,
Written by Jennifer Lambert
Dedicated to the Ohio COPS organization [ return to top ]
Memorial License Plates Update
The plates final design will be done and posted on the website hopefully sometime in June or July. Those of you who signed the petition will be able to go to your license branch and order your new plate. We want to thank everyone who signed up and we look forward to seeing them on the road real soon! [ return to top ]
Tanner Trial Finally Comes to a Close
As we sat there in the courtroom with this person, I couldn't help my mind from wandering back to thoughts of Robert and feeling so much pain for the family that must live every day without him. And right before us is this person who has found "religion" and will pray for the souls of those he inflicted so much pain upon. It left many of us feeling very empty and frustrated. May this family finally have some peace. [ return to top ]
Our Sympathy to the Rees Family
Tom has been an Ohio COPS trustee since our start back in 2000. He has been instrumental in many of the changes to our organization. His wife Cindy revamped our entire mailing list and made it so much easier for us to access. They have helped this group so much. Tom is also the one who located our current picnic facility at Hoover Y park. This will be our second year at the park. It is a beautiful place and we are thankful that he found it. We wish this family Godspeed in their healing.
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Someone you love has been murdered, or was killed by a drunk or reckless driver. It is an understatement to say that your life has been changed. Your anger and pain are deep, and it will take a great deal of hard work and time to recover. You may never feel as if you have "recovered". However, many persons who have been in your situation learn to "manage their grief". You will need time, determination, and, often, the support of a caring listener.
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| May 2002 Issue |