Dec 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 12

GUEST COMENTARY
Doug Griffith
Time to Focus
It is that time of year that I like
to reflect on the positive aspects
of my life. December has always
been a mixed bag of emotions
for me. I lost my best friend (my
grandfather) on December 19th,
1976. My “pawpaw” and I were
inseparable and when he passed
right before Christmas it truly ruined
my Christmas for years after.
Oddly enough, on December 19th,
1993, I was involved in a shooting
in which a suspect wanted for a
shooting pulled a gun on my partner.
Yes, I do believe that it was
divine intervention and that my
grandfather was there watching
over me. I have had many other
incidents during my career and
attribute my survival to a “higher
power”. I am a firm believer that
God puts you where he wants you
when he wants you there!
I saw this on full display again
recently with our two officers
who were shot in different incidents.
The first being Officer
Gibson who was shot by a robbery
suspect on the Southwest
freeway after a chase and crash.
Officer Gibson was hit in the leg,
and it broke a bone taking him
down and making it impossible
for him to stand. With the assistance
of his fellow officers, he
was pulled to safety and should
make a full recovery. The second
was Sergeant Valle, who was
ambushed and shot 8 times while
looking for a burglary suspect. It
is only by the grace of God that
these officers are still here with us
right now. Both officers showed
incredible bravery and the WILL
TO SURVIVE. When you hear
these officers tell their story, you
can see how they do not consider
themselves heroes, but to me, they
are both heroes!
I have stayed in contact with
both officers and each of them
are focused on returning to the
job they love as soon as possible.
They are both very thankful
to those who helped them on
the scene. The lifesaving efforts
by their fellow officers made the
difference. Many times, officers
who made the scene and helped
their brothers in blue do not get
mentioned. But I think it is very
important to acknowledge the roll
that all of their brother and sister
officers played in both scenes.
We take it as part of the job, but
to see our brothers and sisters,
our friends, hurt or shot, it takes a
toll. The care and concern that our
people show for one another in
times like these is very impressive.
DOUG GRIFFITH,
PRESIDENT, HPOU
Now it’s time to focus. Focus
on these officers and their recovery,
focus on their families, and
focus on the fact that we are part
of one of the best police departments
in the world. Not because
of the city, the job, but because of
the people. I am not a fan of One
HPD, but I am very proud of our
HPD family and how we always
come together to support our
family. Yes, there are things we
can complain about within the
department, but the brotherhood
is strong. Please say a prayer for
these officers and if possible,
reach out to them over this holiday
season. It is time to focus on
the positive and remember the
reason for the season!
Merry Christmas.
We are ready for 2024!
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16 The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue