Badges and Bikes

Chapter 31

I am in my office finishing up a small bit of work before the press gets here. Thane comes and taps on my door. I look up and smile as I wave him in. He returns my smile with a beautiful smile of his own. He enters the office and kisses my cheek, close to my lips. "Hi, sweetheart! Have I told you how damn beautiful you are today?" He asked me sweetly.

"Hello, my heart! And not in the last couple hours. You are the sexiest man that I know."

"Your beauty makes my heart soar and my soul sing! I love you so much!" Thane tells me as he looks deeply into my eyes. "I can not wait to have you wrapped in my arms to make love to you!"

"My God you are the best man in the world! I love you too! More than you will ever know. It seems like my life has meaning again because of you. Thank you for helping me live again!" I tell my love. Thane was about to say something else when dad, Max, Kyle, and Thacker comes into my office.

"Hello, babygirl! Are you ready for the spotlight again?" Dad asked with a kiss to my head.

"Hi, dad. I am ready for the conference. How has your day been? Hello everyone! Are you all ready?"

Everyone said hi and that they were ready. "So is this going to be in the conference room or in front of the building?"

Thacker answered. "We will have it in front of the department. I have people setting up the stage and podium now."

"Do you have anyone for crowd control?" Kyle asked.

"I do. They should be here soon. I also have a few for traffic control too." I went over what plans I had already set into motion. Everyone went out into the lobby while I go to the roll room and am greeted with the officers who were assigned the special duties. I relate to them that we are doing the conference outside. They went to start their duties as I walk outside with my dad and the guys. When I get out there, I see mom, gma, and gpa standing to the side of where the podium is being situated. I go and hug them all.

Within a half hour the conference was called to start and the press was seated in front of us. I look around and notice that the press that was here today is the exact same as the last time, a month ago. Hard to believe that it has only been a month since I took over. I am once again standing between Max and Thane. All of our hands are clasped behind our backs as was technical protocol for these things.

Ruth Thacker started by introducing everyone on stage. She told of how there was a cop who was in jail and being charged with kidnapping and attempted sexual assault of a teen. There will be no bail. The press asked several questions. Thacker answered them with ease. Until someone asked how they are supposed to trust the Crazy Butte Police department after all that had gone on lately.

That is when I was brought in. "I will let Chief Thomas answer that one since it is her precinct." Thacker turned to me as if we hadn't said that she would do this.

I step forward and took over the microphones. "I want to start by thanking you all for being here." I paused and looked down to a paper in my hand. I had written it as the official press release. I started over as I crumble the paper into a ball. "I had written a little speech for today. But I don't think that it will suffice. So, pardon me while I go rogue for a few minutes. Please bear with me. A month ago, I was handed the controls of a disorganized and broken police department. There were so many things wrong with this department. We had a former chief who was against women. We had officers who would clock in then hang out with each other at local businesses the entire shift. We had others who would try their best to undermine their colleagues by not giving backup on the more dangerous calls." I look around and see that everyone is paying close attention. "Most of this has been dealt with. The officers have been either suspended or have quit and been charged. Of course there will be bumps in the road. For example, an officer who takes a teen off to a vacant building to assault her. This officer is being dealt with as the law allows. I will continue to monitor the situation. As well as make sure that we seek out any illegal doings by my officers and any other support staff employed by Crazy Butte P.D. But I can not do this by myself. I need help from the other officers as well as the public. If anyone has a complaint involving any employee of the C.B.P.D., please come to me or file a complaint with the front desk and I will investigate it. But it will have to be a legitimate complaint. Nothing like 'I got a speeding ticket and the cop was rude' or 'we called the cops and they sent four cops instead of five'. I want stuff that is illegal and done by my officers and the support staff. Such as the dispatchers, jailers, maintenance, and such. No employee is exempt from following the law."  I paused a moment while they are all taking in what I said. "I will hold the staff up to the high expectations of myself. I want this to be a department that people look up to as leaders of this great city. That is my goal as my time of leadership here. I ask for your support and thank you in advance. That is all that I have at this time." I went back to my spot between Max and Thane.