I have chosen to take a challenge of writing a novel (50,000 words minimum) in one month.

It is called the National Novel Writing Month, and it starts today.  There are no rewards or credit given, just that of satisfactorily completing the challenge.

I have been considering writing about a book about some of the incidents and people I have worked with during my law enforcement career for some time.  I have even written on some of it – while I will be telling those stories, again, I will not ‘cheat’ and cut and paste.

That will mean, of course, that I will have to eventually compare them and possibly rewrite one or more of the stories.

As most of you know I write...a lot.  However, this challenge will mean I must average over 1600 words a day to accomplish the goal – and Thanksgiving weekend is coming.

Not sure why they don’t issue the challenge in January, February, March or April when activities tend to be lessened, but, I accepted the challenge and shall work to accomplish it.

I debated with myself as to whether I wanted to make the stories public or not.  Since I have told them over and over again I figure it probably won’t hurt and those that live in our area may enjoy some insights into some of the incidents that happened as much as 45 years ago in The Dalles Police Department – at least those incidents I was involved in.

I have chosen to use different names for some of the people in my stories since I have not asked their permission to use their names.  But, the incidents are true and I enjoyed working with these men and women.

However, I will start each posting with this quote, so if you would like to share this post with friends: 

I am giving you permission to share this post, as long as you also include this paragraph that it is copyrighted and it is not to be used in or attached to other publications without my written permission.

Copyright November 1, 2017 Art Labrousse

When I was growing up I never thought of being a Police Officer.  My interests was in being an accountant and when I attended college that was my goal, taking classes to that end.

However, after working with an accountant for a while I decided that that career was not what I wanted.

I started working for a grocery store in my home town and when I left town I started working for Safeway stores in Central Oregon.  I seriously considered making that my life’s work.

I was relatively good at the work and had felt I had the potential to work my way up in the organization to at least a manager if not a District Manager.

While there are challenges in the work, most of it is repetitious; I knew what I would be doing at almost any hour on any given day.

I had been listening to my brother-in-law, Norm, talk about his experiences in the Alameda Police Department and as time went on I became more and more interested.

The stories were anything but boring and the work was never the same, you never knew from one day to the next what you might be involved in.  It had the added benefit of actually helping people and making their world a safer place – at least for a time.

Norm came up to visit us and, at his suggestion, we went down to the Police Department and talked with John, a Patrolman First Class (PFC), a rank equivalent to a corporal in some departments.

They shared stories and thoughts about the work, and it peaked my interest even more.

A short while later I went back to the department and talked to John about joining the department, he recommended that rather than giving up my career with Safeway and then finding I didn’t like police work, that I join the Reserves.

I took John’s advice.  Through the years I would go to him for advice on a number of things – and will discuss him in more detail later in the book.

After almost a year in the Reserves I decided that this is the career I wanted to have. 

As a Christian, I felt that this was where God wanted me and that this was my ministry to other people.  Through the years I was able to help a wide number of people.

Even some of those I arrested came back later and wanted me to know that they had straightened their life out.  Many introduced me to their wives and children.  It was always satisfying, to me that I helped them in some way to live a life they could be proud of.

Our job is to protect those that have no protection, to keep them as safe as possible by enforcing the laws and being available to them in times of need.

I truly believe that God does use Police Officers as part of His workers, that they have a ministry in Christ.

We know that God has rules and laws He expects people to live up to – particularly those that are Christians.

The Bible gives many instances of those that are to watch over the population; He set up watchmen, armed guards and Judges to enforce His laws.

Psalm 82:3-4 KJV “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

⁴ Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”         

I wasn’t perfect and made many mistakes, but I was happy to provide an honest and straight forward service to the citizens of my city and county.

Copyright November 1, 2017 Art Labrousse

Later, Art (-: