...Now a GOOD cop story:

[MrScorpio]

Yep, I know that there are good guys in blue, here's one of them:

Unsung Heroes: Ames officer serves the Special Olympics

By Luke Jennett
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 10:55 AM CDT
When Rory Echer was 9 or 10 years old, the same age his own son is now, he shoveled the walk for an elderly neighbor. The neighbor paid Echer $5, a goodly amount for a child back then, and an ecstatic Echer rushed back home with the money.

When he told his father, his father made him give the money back.

“I couldn’t figure it out at the time,” Echer said. “But he told me, ‘We’re here to help people that can’t help themselves.’”

It wasn’t the only time Echer’s parents would teach him that lesson, but it’s one of his favorites. Years later, the sense of public duty sown in him by his parents, and also “the thrill of it,” he said, led him to a career as a policeman in Huxley in 1983. Echer joined the Ames Police Department in 1994, where he currently serves as the night shift sergeant.

“I’ll be the first to tell you,” Echer said. “I love the chase, I love the arrests, I love the investigations.”

But under the guidance of supervisors who taught Echer to emphasize the “serve” part of his oath as well as the “protect” part, he became involved in the Special Olympics in 1987 as a member of the State Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

It was an introduction that would later lead Echer to becoming heavily involved with Special Olympics in Ames, spending his free time as a coach, mentor and friend for a group of athletes that Echer tends to refer to as “the kids,” and parlaying what little spare time he has into fundraising efforts like the Super Polar Plunge and Cop on Top.

“Rory’s just a phenomenal person when it comes to his attitude,” said Jay Lettow, executive director of the Arc of Story County, an advocacy group for the disabled. “He’s always positive, upbeat, and always the perfect coach. He’s involved with so many things, but he always has time to be there for our athletes.”


http://www.amestrib.com/articles/2010/07/09/ames_tribune/news/doc4c3745a6b4758494356832.txt

[tkmorris]

1. We need more of these guys

If cops like this one were more the norm, and not the other cops you've posted about lately, I would LOVE the police. Seriously, we need more policemen if anything, but I usually don't say so because of the quality (lack of) of the ones we have now. Make em all like this guy and I'm on board.

[MrScorpio]

2. Yep, I've been saying this for quite a while

As a matter of fact, last year I posted an OP-EP which explained my reasoning:

It's called "Really, I Don't Hate The Police. OK?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6156251

[HardWorkingDem]

3. For a few seconds, I would like to see the most harshest of cop critics at DU...

Just imagine how many contacts between police and citizens occur in a year. The good acts are innumerable, however, it seems only the most atrocious ones are consistently publicized here (and this is not to say those atrocious acts do not deserve the scorn they receive, because they do - but to lump all acts and all officers into the category as "fucking pigs" is the same as holding the same type of views towards those simply because of color, gender, religion or sexual orientation).

[proteus_lives]

5. This post should be it's own OP.

:thumbsup:

[Q3JR4]

7. I agree... n/t

Q3JR4.

[emilyg]

6. +10

[KansasVoter]

9. That does not excuse the assholes. Should we ignore the really bad contacts???

[HardWorkingDem]

10. Did you even...

read my reply?

In it I made special mention that the terrible things should receive the scorn that they do, however, if one would take a few seconds to imagine all of the contacts that are made each day through 365 days a year, there are many, many more positive contacts than to lump all police as "fucking pigs" - as I have seen here countless times.

[proteus_lives]

4. Color me surprised.

I'll admit I didn't think you had it in you.

[MrScorpio]

8. You ought to get to know me better

I'm really a nice guy

[proteus_lives]

11. I don't doubt that at all.

I've read many of your posts and thought, "spot-on".

I will admit to surprise given the deluge of post about bad LEOs but you made fair and rational points in the link you sent me.

You're far different the "fucking pigs" DU subset who just practice a form of bigotry.

[XOKCowboy]

12. Thom Hartmann was talking about cops today..

He said he was talking to a long-time LEO who said that about half cops were in it to really serve and the others would do it for free if you gave them that kind of power. He amended the percentage but it's a shame that the small percentage of head bangers hurt the rep of a lot of good cops.

Thom also reminded his listeners that you don't know what it's like to approach every vehicle/suspect knowing they might be the person that kills you.

[HardWorkingDem]

15. When it comes to people based occupations, one of the most unfortunate things.....

is how almost all people tend to base their perceptions on their own lifetime of experiences with the group of people they most often encounter. I mention this because when it comes to experiences with people and memory, the first memory to go is about how one or a number of encounters do not always represent the truth of how people are or of the group they are members of.

What I'm getting at is, from my own experiences, I have to constantly remind myself that on a day to day basis, every encounter with people I have does not accurately represent the larger population.

Sadly, many seem to fail to consciously remind themselves of this and take the easiest route and start forming their opinions on what are the same type of encounters over and over again with a relatively small number of people.

[eridani]

13. I'll add another

http://citizen-artiste.org/events/stevecox.htm
Officer Cox was killed by drug dealers. He had a law degree, but went into policing because he was concerned about the damage being inflicted on his old neighborhood. He won the trust and affection of all of the ethnic groups in our polyglot low income community.

[druidity33]

14. I'll K&R this.

We need more good cop stories. It's a measure of our media that we only hear the BAD news, and occasionally the touching "Human Interest" story that gets gobbled up.

Is there a "Positive News" newspaper anywhere in the world?

:shrug:

[Heidi]

16. Recommended.

:kick:

[BrklynLiberal]

17. thanks for posting this..