Last Call

The last radio call or radio watch is given in remembrance of a life lost in the line of duty. The fallen officer’s badge number is called, followed by “no response” and an out-of-service code. It is a heartbreaking tribute to those that have served and given the ultimate sacrifice. It may be the end of the officer’s watch, but it isn’t the end of the memories or the pain of loss. And, it is a call I never want to hear. I am a police officer’s wife.

Every morning my children and I say good-bye to the officer in our life. The officer we love. The officer we laugh and cry with. The officer that teases us and shakes his head at the shenanigans of his daughters. The officer that cheers his son on as he scores a touchdown. The officer that never forgets Valentine’s Day. The officer that works every day to take care of his family.

He is the officer that has saved countless lives and families and responded to dozens of homicides and suicides. He is the man that didn’t sleep for 72 hours trying to find a missing child whom her father killed. He is the officer that responded to the Aurora Theater shooting and had the unbelievable task of letting each family know that their loved one wasn’t coming home. He is the man that buried three fellow officers. He is the officer that works every day to take care of his community.

I sit here next to my husband, trying to get my thoughts together and thinking about how blessed I am. Officer Eric Talley was killed just ten miles down the road from where we live. His wife and seven children can no longer laugh with him, cry with him or hold him. In 2021, there have been 79 Line of Duty deaths of officers. That’s 79 Last Calls in less than three months.

Why does it take the death of an officer, one more Last Call, to acknowledge the respect the men and women in blue deserve? They honor, serve and protect every day.