The Officers (you can browse excerpts from the book here)
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Officer Merry O’Cleary
“…..after you’ve worked in the city for a number of years, you cannot pass by a block without a memory of something that happened there, maybe even something that happened in every house on that block.”
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Detective Jim Rodgers
“I’ve lived the realities of the dangers of this job for 19 years. My wife knows the realities and the dangers. The fact is, you still go back out there and you do it. I know I have a job to do and I love doing the job.”
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Officer Benjamin Kelly
“I had just passed Maurice Clemmons….I didn’t know who he was…he’s walking directly toward me. I get out to address him and by this point he’s pretty close. I get out of my car, turn and face him and that’s when he looks up for the first time. I recognize who it is. Training just kicked in from the second I recognized him.”
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Sgt. Drew Hancock
“Some of them struck a cord, this one gal in particular….Her parents were both crack dealers and addicts….She was 20 years old…It was her only way to make money…She’s crying and I said, ‘If you really want help, I will help you. I’m going to give you my cell number and you can call me.’ Sure enough, three days later she called me…”
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Officer Rich Pruitt
“The Miller Community Center shooting was my big incident. I got the Medal of Honor and the Medal of Valor. I was just doing my job. I think if you ask people who get these awards, it’s probably the same thing for most.”
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Officer Becky Miller
“I have 8- and 10-year-old boys. I remember the first time my older son ever really noticed about my work. I got home and he goes, ‘Mom, did you go to work today?’ I said yes. He said, ‘Did you chase the bad guys?’ I said yes. I was wondering where this was going.”