Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

TO:The family;loved ones;friends and department members: A POLICE OFFICER'S PRAYER:-- O, gentle Lord! Keep the day/night watch with me.As I begin my tour of duty,I ask your protection from all mental,physical and spiritual harm. Sustain me with the knowledge that I am doing your work,endeavoring to keep peace among your people. Help me to be just as I enforce the law without prejudice or favor to anyone. May I be courageous but not reckless in carrying out my duties.Let me respond to all calls with haste realizing that so many are dependent on me for life and safety. Support me with your consoling powerwhen I am tempted to think no one really cares and that I am taken for granted. Sustain in me the conviction that so many thousands do care and are grateful for my presence. Grant that I may be loyal to my partner and my fellow officers,and that I may back them up effectively when called upon for assistance. Lord,I ask that I may return safely after my tour of duty,to my loved ones and those who love me.I pray that I may be a good and honorable police officer;and after my tour of duty is over here on earth,may I enjoy the peace and happiness of heaven that you have promised to those who serve you well.AMEN.***REST IN PEACE*** Sent to you by the father of Master Officer J.D.Koeppen,Capital City Ralegh NC;Trooper D.C.Koeppen,N.J.State Police and Cadet Officer A.M.Koeppen,Wilmington N.C.

Chief( retired) Douglas A. Koeppen
Washington New Jersey

July 20, 2004

To the family and friends of Detective Lorenzo, and to the NMBPD members, may God bless you and be with you in this time of sorrow. America lost another hero today; you are now 10-42 go walk a beat on Heaven's streets, you've done your time here, you are a blue angel, R.I.P. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. God Speed Brother.

Diane Dodge
Polk County Sheriff's Office, Bartow, FL

July 20, 2004

Words alone cannot describe the great person that Detective Lorenzo, lovingly known to us as "Oreo", was and will always be in our hearts. As an honor guard member I have participated in several police funerals which have been difficult but never have I had to participate in one so difficult and so close to home. Oreo, I hope you were able to see how much pride and emotion went into our tribute to your honor. You were an awesome officer, a wonderful family man, and a great friend. You will never be forgotten fellow brother, I promise you that. God bless you and your family.

Officer Laura Gonzalez
North Miami Beach Police, Honor Guard Unit

July 19, 2004

Oreo, You always said,"Take care of your family, because they are the ones that mean the most to you." These were not just words that you spoke, but the way in which you lived your life. Your spirit and guidance will be with each of us everyday. You once said, I don't care about me, just take care of my family. I promise you that this will done. Oreo, you are now an ANGEL, watch over us. My wife commented, Now you'll have a partner with you everyday. Rest in peace....

Officer Donald Reynolds
North Miami Beach Police Department

July 17, 2004

Oreo, the last time I saw you, I brought my family to the union picnic. And when you saw my new born daughter, you said, “Ben, you have a career, and now a family, life can’t get any better”. I will never forget those words. You were truly a unique individual, one that can not be replaced, and I’m honored to have known you. May God bless you and your beautiful family.

Ofc. Benjamin Barnes
North Miami Beach Police Department

July 17, 2004

TO Officer Lorenzo, even though I never met you, I heard a lot about you..Is always so sad to hear when an officer dies, but is worst when is so close to home. I know your 3 daughters and your wife were everything for you, you can be sure that they will be ok, we the survivors of police officers will be here for them and help them every step as we know they are hurting very much...don't worry they are not alone..

Take care "angel in Blue" and don't ever forget, "you are gone but not forgotten"

God Bless you

terry miyares, surviving spouse
Officer Emilio Miyares, Hialeah PD< Fl 11/6/86

July 16, 2004

Detective Lorenzo,

You paid the ultimate price, now Rest in Peace Brother....GOD BLESS your family and the North Miami Beach Police Department. GODSPEED....

Officer
NC

July 16, 2004

Please remember the fallen officers we have lost. Remember the men and women who died trying to make this world a safer and better place for us all to live in. Thank you Detective Lorenzo for a job well done. Please continue to watch over us and protect us as only you can. You will forever be at our side and in our hearts.

For those of you who still have loved ones with us please take the time to tell them how much you appreciate and care about them.

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

July 16, 2004

My family would like to send our heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, & fellow co-workers of Detective Lorenzo.
You're in our thoughts and prayers. May God watch over all the brave men and women in law
enforcement who put their lives on the line everyday as they serve & protect their communitites.
Your job is a difficult one and we truly appreciate all you do. God bless each & everyone of you.

Gail M Pabst
Aunt of fallen detroit P.O. Jennifer Fettig eow 2-16-04

July 15, 2004

Oreo, you will truley be missed by each and every one of us. Your talent and compassion as a police officer and a person will forever be etched in our hearts. You left your legacy here on earth, with the three beautiful daughters you left behind. May God Bless the Lorenzo family. Peace be with you. Rest In Peace my fallen brother.

Officer Tracy Webster
North Miami Beach Police Department

July 15, 2004

I stop by this website often after the death of two dear friends with the NCSHP (Troopers Calvin Taylor E.O.W. October 3, 2001 and Anthony Cogdill E.O.W. May 30, 2003).
Unfortunately, I had to add the name of another friend. Deputy Jeffrey Hewitt, Buncombe County (NC) Sheriff’s Department, E.O.W. April 4, 2004.

We all grieve over the lives lost in the line of duty. I hope you can find some comfort knowing that there are countless prayers that go out for your family.

These are senseless tragedies that never seem to stop. God Bless the men and women who continue to serve their communities in our great Nation.

...Gone, but never Forgotten....

Marti Ingle (EMT-Paramedic)
Haywood County EMS (NC)

July 15, 2004

My prayers go out to Oreo's family, both the biological one and the one at NMBPD. Oreo's measure as a police officer was only surpassed by his measure as a man.

Kim (Bowerman) Villere

July 15, 2004

Oreo, my heart goes out to your beautiful family, may God bless them and keep them safe. I'll never forget your smile, and kindness. You truely are a great man who'll never be forgotten. Rest in peace.

Jessica Bagwell
AleHouse Restuarant

July 15, 2004

"Oreo" I am glad that I got a chance to meet and know you. You were truly an awesome person. You will be greatly missed by everyone in NMB. God has called upon you to serve and protect in a higher place now, and I know that you will be with us in spirit, watching from above. 09-06. Rest in peace brother.

Ofc. Christian Lystad
North Miami Beach Police Department

July 15, 2004

My fiance, Dennis McElderry, was the first law enforcement casualty of 2003. Dennis died doing a job he loved, just as I'm sure Oreo did. It saddens me to know that Dennis was not the first to die in the line of duty, nor will he and Oreo be the last to die this way.

Having gone through the pain of losing Dennis I can truly understand and feel the pain that Detective Lorenzo's family, friends, and co-workers must be feeling. My heart goes out to you all, especially to his wife. No one can truly understand the pain of our loss until they've walked in our shoes. I wish I could give you a few words of wisdom to help you through this tough time, but there isn't anything I can really say or do to make the situation better. Just know that my thoughts are with you.

Please accept my condolences on behalf of the McElderry family and remember that Oreo is part of huge law enforcement family. If you ever need anything any number of them will be there for you (as I've quickly found out!) From reading the many reflections posted here, I am certain Oreo was well respected and well loved.

Thank you for a job well done and for helping to make this world a safer place for us all. Please say "hello" to my fiance Dennis for me.

Peace, Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Jocelyne Brar (Winnipeg, MB Canada)
Fiancee of Deputy Sheriff Dennis Ray McElderry - EOW (01/03/03)

July 15, 2004

We'll miss you.

BLE 165 - " The Best Of The Best In 95"

July 15, 2004

You'll be missed. Thanks for all you said and did. We Love You

Det. Ray A. Blanco & Family
City of Miami Police Department

July 14, 2004

We share the loss of Detective Lorenzo with both his immediate and NMBPD families.

From all of us in Troop E - Miami, our thoughts and prayers are with you and Oreo.

State Trooper
Florida Highway Patrol

July 14, 2004

We will miss you, You finally became a cop after all those years of trying. You became a great one, and we will see each other again in heaven.

I went to your funeral, You were looking down on us. you have so many friends, family, and cops who cared about you. Go with god.

Detective
Miami Police Department

July 14, 2004

My sympathy to the family and friends of Det. Orestes Lorenzo. Rest in peace, brother.
To the members of the North Miami Police Department keep up the good work and besafe.

Cpl. Bryan Taylor
Hillsborough Co. Sheriff's Office Tampa, Fl.

July 14, 2004

My prayers and deepest condolences are with your Department, and especially with the friends and family of your fallen friend. GOD BLESS this HERO.
Stay strong, stay focused, and make SURE that Detective Lorenzo
will never be forgotten.

Invest. Mike Bradford-Ret
Tallahassee Police Dept

July 14, 2004

“When God made Peace Officers….”

When the lord was creating Peace Officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, Have you read the spec on this order? A Peace Officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn’t touch, and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next day.

They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half- eaten meals. And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands….No Way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me the problems,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have.”

That’s on the standard model? asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, “May I see what’s in there sir?” (When they already know and wishes they had taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of their head for their partners’ safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, “ You’ll be alright ma’am, when they know it isn’t so.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve,” rest and work tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on civil service paycheck.”

The angel circled the model of the Peace Officer very slowly, “Can it think?” she asked.

“You bet,” said the Lord, “It can tell you elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in it’s sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five judges to debate the legality of the stop…and still it keeps it’s sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with crime scenes painted in HELL, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim’s family’ and then read in the daily paper how Law Enforcement isn’t sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Peace Officer. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.”

“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

“What’s the tear for?” asked the angel.

“It’s for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag, and for justice.”

“You’re a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked sober. “I didn’t put it there,” he said.


Anonymous

Senior Instructor
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

July 14, 2004

My deepest sorrows goes to the Lorenzo family and the North Miami Beach Police Department.I had the true honor to work with and know Detective Orestes(Oreo)Lorenzo.On July 9 2004,I lost a friend a brother and a fellow Law Enforcement Officer. But worst of all is that a family and a community looses a true hero.Thank you for the service, dedication and memories you have given us.-- Rest In Peace My Brother--

Jorge A. Campos
(Fmr.)R.C.S.T. NMBPD--BLE#217--

July 14, 2004

Oreo, I will never forget the thoughts and advice that you had shared with me. May God bless and watch over you and your family. You will never be forgotten.

Crime Scene Tech. Anthony Hershey
North Miami Beach Police Department

July 14, 2004

May the memory of your service, heroism and sacrifice remain forever. May God bless you, your family and brother/sister officers in the North Miami Police Department.

Trooper
Pennsylvania State Police

July 13, 2004