Police Unity Tour: 2016

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Chance Meetings

In 2007, I took this picture of Bill and Barb Lyons. Bill was doing support and Barb was riding for her son, Oregon State Trooper Scott Lyons. Scott was killed on September 2, 1997 and Barb's last conversation with Scott was over the upcoming Cycle Oregon event they planned to ride. Instead, Barb rode to Washington, DC to honor Scott.

Through Facebook, I knew that Bill and Barb were going to be at the Memorial for this year's Police Unity Tour arrival. I was hoping to see them when we came in. But finding someone in the huge crowds that were gathered at the arrival was not an easy task, so I missed them.

Saturday night I ended up, as usually happens this week, wandering back to the Memorial to listen to the Emerald Society gathering celebrate the legacy of Irish immigrants who have filled the ranks of public safety. While walking around the Memorial, I ran into Kim Weigand, mother of fallen Officer Michael Weigand. My friend Ian rode the 2009 PUT for Michael and I remember Ian talking about him. I introduced myself to Kim and she talked about how much she appreciates all Ian did for her. We took a selfie and sent it to Ian, who responded that he still wears the pin Kim gave him to remember Michael.

I was getting ready to leave after the pipers played Amazing Grace. I went by the west side of the Memorial and spotted a familiar face.

Barb plans to ride again with us in 2017 to mark 20 year's since Scott's death. My conversations last night at the Memorial with both Kim and Barb reminded me of the impact that the Police Unity Tour has on the surviving families. It has been an honor and a pleasure to have opportunities like these to help the survivors and make sure their fallen heroes are not forgotten.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

DAY 3 Musings

For those of you who’ve been following the blog, you’ll notice i’ve not been keeping up as well as in past. Due to a variety of circumstances, I’m not riding this year, but serving in a support role. I’m still hanging out in the back with the ride Marshals, but in a car, making sure the riders that fall back get into the vans and not get left on the side of the road. Not many cool or interesting pictures to post from the car, so you’re going to get a few random thoughts along the way.

With the all of the activities and memorials and ceremonies leading up to police week, I was recently reminded of how these events, which are meant to help, don’t always. Any death is difficult, but law enforcement deaths are inherently harder because of the very public nature of the mourning. Any line of duty death is a loss to the public. We lose a valued public servant and with that, we lose a sense of safety and security. The surviving family members may get lots of public attention, and sometimes un-warranted scrutiny. With that, they lose the chance to mourn privately. Law Enforcement deaths are also frequently followed by long and grueling criminal processes, that just prolong the hurt and further delay mourning and adaptation to the new normal. I know that this time of year is difficult for many, but hope that it brings comfort to the survivors to know that We Ride for Those who Died.