Thanks, Murfreesboro Police Department

My Letter to the Editor from today's paper.  We should be very proud of our police force. 

Last week, I had the rare opportunity, through Leadership Rutherford, to do a ride-along with Murfreesboro Police Officer Travis Henderson through an entire Saturday night patrol shift.

When I mentioned to others that I'd be taking this ride, I was told I would see the worst of parts of Murfreesboro. However, I actually ended up seeing quite the opposite. The area that we patrolled all evening was statistically and historically the highest rated in crime activity. It was an area that would probably be, for most, one of the last zones that an officer would want to regularly tackle, much less specifically request. That was not the case in Officer Henderson's assignment. Following regular patrol training, Henderson requested to stay in this area/zone.

Throughout the evening, I met more officers that weren't merely in their assigned area, but in their area of expertise. As Officer Henderson said, this is his office. He's on each of those streets daily. He knows the cars, he knows the houses and he knows the families. He's built relationships with those folks, not merely as the patrolling officer, but as one of the officers that has a genuine care and concern for his community.

I appreciate these officers for looking much beyond what could be considered a mere obligation, to what is an opportunity — an opportunity to make a big difference. Thanks for showing me one of the best parts of Murfreesboro — folks like Officer Henderson who intentionally improve our city daily.