By Mike Simmons
Everyone who has been a local police officer is probably aware…July 4 is not a day off. There are exceptions, of course, but many officers and police employees find themselves working, usually the fireworks detail. Either they volunteer to work it for overtime pay, or they are “voluntold” to work. Whatever the case, many law enforcement officers don’t enjoy a leisurely day picnicking and watching fireworks with their families.
Like many officers, I would usually etch out a spot for my family that was close to where I was working, hoping to spend SOME time with them, but understanding that it wasn’t much. The advantage was that they could park in a convenient spot and sit in a good place. Honestly, though, by the time the fireworks began and I had already been there for many hours, I just wanted to go home.
An often overlooked corps of workers were the underpaid cadets. They had to also maintain a post, but they got paid less. Hoping to soon become officers, they usually kept their mouths shut and endured the heat, rain, and the hours of traffic direction.
Jon Thacker was one such individual. Now a lofty lieutenant with the Pensacola Police Department, he appeared in a very patriotic photo by Bruce Graner in the Pensacola News Journal as a cadet working the July 4th celebration by blocking the road in his old Crown Vic in 1999. I guess it pays off in the long run.
Interesting…
