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Cutlure Corner

Members Day 2018 It was fabulous to see Gurmit Kaur and Andre Bak invite over 20 of their Branch to Fox Road with partners to receive 20 Year Certificates. What a brilliant way to celebrate Members on Members Day.

could benefit his officers. During the course of our meeting I explained that I had previously been sworn in by his predecessor as a Reserve Deputy. Sheriff McKenna then said it would be his honour to swear me in as Reserve Deputy Sheriff once we had concluded our meeting. Following our lengthy conversation I was invited with a number of officers into another office where I was asked to raise my right hand and repeat after him the oath of a Reserve Officer of Lapeer County. What a proud moment that was and the feeling that he put into the oath. The occasion was fantastic and you could feel the mutual respect between the Sheriff and his officers. I then spent time on patrol with Deputy DeWayne Gilley, or Gilley as he is known, who is a patrol officer for the whole of Lapeer County. Gilley and I hit it off straight away and I attended numerous calls with him, including one to arrest a person involved in a robbery of a petrol station the night before. As a matter of safety I had to remain in the car as Gilley and a second officer didn’t know if the suspect was armed or a violent person. As it was he came out like a lamb and was placed in the other car to be conveyed to the Sheriff’s Office to be questioned about the robbery. I was greatly impressed by the respect of the public towards the police and the comment that was made more than once, “Thank you for your service”, and not just said but was meant. Those remarks were also referred to me, making me think back to my time as a Special, trying to remember if that had ever been said to me. I was also assigned to work with Gilley on a second occasion, again patrolling the whole of Lapeer County. On this occasion we again attended a variety of calls, including a drugs search at a premises, false house alarms, a warrant authorising us to enter a neighbouring area of jurisdiction to collect a prisoner due for court appearance the following day and also a warrant to transfer a female with violent mental issues into Lapeer County Hospital. This latter case was both physical and humorous. Following what turned out to be a quite physical restraint of the lady and with the assistance of a second officer, she was placed into our vehicle and transferred to the hospital. During the journey she started to calm down a little, saying she knew me and that she wanted to buy us both dinner. Lunch time on duty. In the States they like to see police officers eating in establishments and most times only charge a minimum, or free at the discretion of the manager. During the meal time a number of people came to speak to us, thanking us for everything the police do and for the food gifts that Lapeer officers make to those that have fallen on bad times. It is great to see the respect that the general public have for the police in the USA. Again, a great day with Gilley and I look forward to the next time when we travel to Michigan and I’m able to go out on patrol again, make new friends and see how far they have progressed in joining and forming another IPA Branch. You may be asking yourself how did Ken become a Reserve Deputy Sheriff of Lapeer County, USA? Well many years ago I was a member of an organisation called The International Reserve Police Officers Association and at the time my step-daughter was in charge of the Reserve programme and when we were in Michigan for our conference all the police officers (including myself) were sworn in as Reserve Deputy Sheriffs. Mine was extended because I had met Susie and when we got married we were in Lapeer 2 or 3 times a year… My status remained until the Sheriff retired last year.

Gurmit

I have contacted IPA Section USA for them to make contact with Sheriff Scott McKenna to see if a Branch can be formed in Lapeer County and all the surrounding jurisdictions and possibly even the State Police of Michigan.

Andre

S carborough Branch under Chris Charlton had a celebration meal which is becoming an annual event in their calendar. Members Day 2018 is already well under so why not get involved and hold an event or come to Fox Road and join other Branches and Regions there to celebrate Members.

POLICE WORLD Vol 63 No. 3, 2018

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