Ark Valley News - Proud of police officer

Proud of police officer
Last Updated: August 20, 2015

As a parent of a couple of teenagers, I make every attempt to teach my kids to respect police officers, the badge they wear and the job they do. It's obvious that police departments across our country are getting a bad rap for actions taken out of context or the actions of a very small few.

As a member of our community for over 15 years, I have only had one interaction with the VCPD and it was professional, courteous and based on common sense. Last week, I attended municipal court proceedings with my son who wanted to defend his actions in court. I was very pleased with the demeanor of the officers and the judge during his trial.

The judge was patient with my son when he stumbled and didn't articulate his questions correctly. The officer was polite, honest and courteous in his responses. After the trial, another VC officer approached us in the parking lot and told my son, "You were professional, prepared and very brave tonight. You did a great job in there and that's not easy at your age. You should be proud. It was a good lesson for our officer and for the rest of our department. Thanks for being brave enough to take it to trial."

He shook our hands and we had a brief conversation before he returned to the station.

So I say, "Thank you!" I didn't catch the officer's name that came out to speak with us, but I hope he reads this and knows how much I appreciated his effort to come out and chat with my son and me. You made an impression on my son, his friend and this parent. Valley Center should be proud to have you and your fellow officers serving our community.

— Russ Eckert, Valley Center