Snohomish County Sheriff's Office转发了
Yesterday was absolutely amazing - I had the unique opportunity to participate in a ride-along with Deputy Waddell from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (name & photo included with his permission). As a citizen observer, I got to tag along (with a nice, hefty ballistic vest) and meet other deputies as we responded to calls in our community - including a multi-victim car prowl incident, a domestic disturbance, and a welfare check (which started with an expected bleak outcome but thankfully ended better than anticipated). There was so much to learn in just 4 hours, and to be honest I'm still processing everything. But one word keeps coming to mind as a major takeaway: kindness. It's not that I expected the deputies I met to be unkind, but I might have expected more distant, stoic personalities. They have to deal with a lot, after all. I've had opportunities to tour military bases and get to know LEOs in the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) realm in my past life, but I wasn't sure how the personalities and approach in "regular" law enforcement might differ from my previous hospitable experiences. To be honest, I was pretty nervous going into this ride-along as I didn't know what to expect or what kind of calls we would encounter. I didn't want to disrupt their important work or get in the way. But from the first handshake, Deputy Waddell and his colleagues were approachable, welcoming, open to sharing about their work and experiences, and just plain kind. I was never made to feel like a nuisance, and my respect for their role and perspectives earned respect in return. They trusted me enough to give me a glimpse into the realities of their work in law enforcement (and show me where the first aid equipment and tourniquets were when I asked, which helped me feel more prepared for any crazy situations). I got to see their humanity in action as they interacted with members of the community. I probably can't say much about the calls we responded to, but the nonverbal actions I witnessed and deep conversations I was privileged to participate in are going to stick with me for the rest of my life. It was an honor to be able to get to know the person behind the badge and find out that we actually have so much in common. This experience really impacted me, and I think more citizens should take the opportunity to do a ride-along as well. I know I'll be praying for Deputy Waddell and his colleagues every time I see a Sheriff's car drive by from here on. I've always supported law enforcement, but after my experience yesterday, I'm compelled to find out what I can do in a more meaningful way to ensure these deputies know how much we all appreciate their service. Shout out to Deputy Waddell for making this an outstanding experience - this guy deserves a raise! And thank you to all of our Snohomish County deputies who work so hard to protect our community - it means more than you know. #deputy #military #community