Although this did not end well because of political change, it will be one of the most memorable and proudest periods of my life.  While I cannot specifically discuss what I did for so many reasons, it was a one-in-a-million job.  I will tell my kids one day.  Put it this way, I had the equivalent of a top notch MBA program from an unique perspective.

The honor of service truly belongs to the uniformed officers.  There are definitely brutal, petty, power-hungry ones out there who should be removed and disciplined immediately, but there are truly noble servants.  I’m glad I sat with and shared parts of my life with them.  Don’t get me wrong, I heard and saw pretty egregious instances of misconduct, some of which are unprintable.

My first month, I attended the funeral of an Assistant Deputy Commissioner in Queens.  After the church ceremony, the casket was followed by bagpipe players, honor guard, and a helicopter flyover while all in attendance lined up on the street to pay their respects.

Moving.  

My colleagues and I went to Applebees for lunch.  There was an elderly man eating alone and one officer on noticing this, immediately starts a collection to pay for his meal.  

Moving.

We had this video montage set to the theme of Gladiator and voiced by James Earl Jones.  Always Heroes.  Predictably, my friends would make fun of it, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me chills at times.

My first Chief, who interviewed me in the dark (yes, exactly this for some psychological tactic) called the Department the greatest police force in the world.  Sigh – Scotland Yard, BOPE, GIGN, but ok.  I’ll go with that.

Intimidation aside, I have many funny stories.  Again, not minimizing the very real horror stories I saw and heard.  These scary sounding places are all that, but goofy too.  I once attended a promotional ceremony opened by the band playing not some patriotic song but rather “Wait a Minute Mr. Postman.”