Hello Lauderhill Family:

This past week, law enforcement officers from not only around the United States, but from around the world, gathered in Washington D.C. for Police Week. For those who do not know, Police Week is a time where the law enforcement community gathers to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

In 2021, 617 law enforcement officers laid down their lives while serving their communities. This is a staggering number and the highest since 1930. Officers have lost their lives in many ways, but in 2020, we faced a new enemy: the global pandemic called COVID-19. Out of the 617 officers we lost last year, 273 of them died from COVID-19. That figure is almost half of law enforcement’s total fatalities… staggering, and very hard to accept.

Officers are trained professionals and continuously receive training to maintain a certain level of proficiency that is expected and demanded by our community. This requirement is a crucial part of the job, and in many cases, has kept officers alive and safe. A common phrase in the law enforcement community is “when in a stressful situation, revert to your training.” But how do you train to protect yourself from something we have never faced before? Regardless of this new enemy, your officers continued to go out every day to hold up our motto of “Protecting Our Community.” Your Lauderhill Police Department was not spared from this as COVID-19 struck home and took our brother, Sergeant Corey Pendergrass. This was a devastating blow to our Blue Family. Corey was our brother, and remains our brother, and the legacy he left behind, will never be forgotten.

To my Lauderhill family, I know that you may not know what we encounter on a daily basis. I know that you may not understand why we do what we do or why we carry on with our duties in spite of the challenges we face every day. How could you know unless you are in our shoes? There is nothing routine in police work, except for us putting on our uniform and answering that call to serve and protect, ensuring that we get the job done. Many folks have told me that they would not want to do what we do. It does, in fact, take a special person to do this job.

But it is not a “job” to us; instead, it is a profession, a calling, and we need your support. When you see one of your Lauderhill officers out and about in our city, wave, say hello, or even a quick nod goes a long way and means so much.

“A Man Remembered, Never Dies.”

Until next time…

Chief Constance Stanley