Read this first
I am feeling a rush of emotions right now.
I am sad. Sad because we have lost another one. An officer I knew this time. Yet another one that is too close to home, and way too soon after the last. Sad for his wife and kids.
I am hopeful. Hopeful that Officer Moody's wife and kids will be okay, in time of course. Also hopeful that his dog Rico will pull through. Many people might not understand that to us, a police dog is an officer too.
I am angry. Angry because, had Officer Moody been wearing his DAMNED seat belt, there is a possibility he would have walked away from such a horrendous crash.
I am glad. Glad I have the good sense to wear mine. I never leave the parking lot without it on.
I am frustrated. Frustrated by the hard headed, stubborn reluctance of many officers to wear their seat belts when they are driving. Especially when they're driving Code 3.
DAMMIT!
IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG TO GET YOUR SEAT BELT OFF WHEN YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR! I HAVE NEVER LOST A SUSPECT IN A FOOT CHASE JUST BECAUSE OF A SEAT BELT! YOU HAVEN'T EITHER!
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET TRAPPED IN YOUR CAR BY THE SEAT BELT! IF YOU ARE SO FUCKING WORRIED ABOUT THAT, START CARRYING A KNIFE LIKE YOU SHOULD BE ANYWAY!
IF YOU DON'T WEAR YOUR GODDAMNED SEAT BELT AND YOUR CAR CRASHES INTO A POLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, GUESS WHAT! YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP GOING AND SMASH YOUR SKULL IN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR!
THE AIRBAG WILL NOT SAVE YOU BY ITSELF! IT IS DESIGNED TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SEAT BELTS!
CROWN VICTORIAS AND CHARGERS ALL COME EQUIPPED WITH ADJUSTABLE BELTS! THE BELT IRRITATING THE SIDE OF YOUR NECK IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE!
QUIT MAKING EXCUSES AND WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!
I HATE COP FUNERALS!
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17 comments:
There's nothing to say but I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.
Man, I'm really sorry, and you're 100% right on the seat belt issue.
Hopefully this will influence a few others on the job and maybe save a life or two down the road.
Sorry bro. Cop funerals suck.
my husband feels the same way as you do about this! he works in law enforcement in the Bay Area also. i agree with you about the whole seatbelt thing! i am going to insist that he wears one all the time! sorry for the loss of your friend! it's never easy, that's for sure!! my husband will be attending the funeral this week! you all will be in our thought and prayers!
Howdy,
I came across yoru blog.. whick i love...I am a new police officer In Halifax Canada, and I have a blog about my times...lol today is my first day working.. yippeee...Wondering if you could link to my blog, i'd do the same.. thanks
kennyo
http://apolicemanslife.blogspot.com
Hey there Kenny. Just curious if you read this post before you commented, or if you just clicked and commented without reading first.
Welcome to the profession, and I wish you luck. I'll have a gander at your blog.
I feel your pain....I always wear mine. Always. It has saved my life twice.
Smitty, I was wondering if you knew him.
I don't even know if a seat-belt would've saved in that crash.
RIP Ofc. Moody...
I was in Napa with some Contra Costa County Deputies at the time of the accident. We were getting moment by moment updates and kept saying prayers for Moody and his family. It is such a tragedy. I always wear my seat belt whenever I am driving, working or not. And I beat it into my trainees that it is not only policy at our agency, but about 40 - 60% (depending on the year) of on duty deaths nation wide in our business are traffic collision related. Unfortunately, here is yet 1 more example I can point to with my trainees. We, as a culture, need to learn from the spilled blood of our brothers and sisters. It is bad enough when we loose a member of our family, but when we fail to learn a lesson from their loss, is even a greater tragedy, and a life lost in vain. Invariably, officers will still go forth, failing to buckle up. We are human. And we do bleed. We are not impervious to crush coefficients in a motor vehicle accident, nor are we bullet proof. Its time we stop behaving like we believe we are. We know better. --Officer
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and his dept. I am so glad you wear your seatbelt. I can only hope this tragedy will influence the ones who don't to put theirs on.
Bronze:
I didn't know Moody well, like friends or anything. But I have talked to him numerous times. Bulshitting in the hall at court, collaborating on cases, etc. I just saw him in court last week.
Having seen the car, I now know just how much intrusion there was. I still believe his seat belt might have helped. But then again, that's just my opinion. A seat belt may or may not have helped, but I have seen much less severe crashes that still killed officers who would otherwise have walked away.
My agency has never (knock on wood) had a line of duty death. I worry about my co-workers who refuse to wear their seat belts, in violation of our department policy I might add.
This will be my second funeral from crashes.
When I was a cop back in the '60's, I was considered a bit of a 'rebel' by my superiors, and I was the Constables' Representative on the Police Federation. Seatbelts were trying to be introduced, and Federation Reps were invited to a talk at Scotland Yard by a Road Research expert. Almost all police drivers were avidly against the compulsory wearing of the seatbelts, especially moi!
After the talk, I became probably THE best advertisement FOR seatbelts. Why? 'Cos the truth is the truth. They save lives - end of story.
http://www.odmp.org/officer/18826-police-officer-doug-byrne
The officer in this link was an FTO for one of my best friends. A seat belt would have saved him. I remember getting a call from dispatch asking me to come in early on the day that he died.
Condolences, Smith. To you, all the officers in your area, but most of all to Ofc. Moody's family and friends.
Sorry man...
I am sorry for the loss of a fellow officer. My condolences to his family.
Wow. I just told my husband about this and will now be bugging him to wear it EVERY TIME. He says he does but I have seen him not put it on too.
I'm so sorry for this family, including the dog, also part of the family, both the officers and the police family.
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