Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

On behalf of the Gallup Police Department, we send our condolences to the family of Officer Rafferty and the New York City Police Department. We hold you in our thoughts and prayers. May God bless you all with strength.

Jenelle
Gallup Police Department, Gallup, N.M.

September 14, 2004

Rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, and friends.

Andrew, Police Officer
Baltimore City Police

September 14, 2004

Like many of us....., with Pride, Integrity and Guts, you walked the 'thin blue line'... You served your Neighbourhood well...
To your Family and Colleagues, I offer my heartfelt sympathy and prayers at this time...

Michael Duffy 'DETECTIVE GARDA'
AN GARDA SIOCHANA-IRISH POLICE FORCE

September 14, 2004

Farewell my friend. I will pray for you and your family members.

Ret. P.O. Deborah Kosick
NYPD

September 14, 2004

My family would like to send our heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, & fellow co-workers of Det. Patrick Rafferty.
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

September 13, 2004

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 power when I am tempted to think no one really cares and that I am taken for granted. Sustain in me the conviction that so many 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 Raleigh North Carolina; Trooper D.C.Koeppen, New Jersey State Police and Cadet Officer A.M.Koeppen, Wilmington North Carolina.

Chief (retired ) Douglas A. Koeppen
Washington New Jersey

September 13, 2004

Lord, not again! Our prayers are with the Rafferty's, always.

September 13, 2004

To the family of Det Rafferty, God bless you and keep you in his hands. Your loved one died doing what he loved best, serving the citizens of his city to make it a better place to live.

Officer Andy DePola
Seattle P. D.

September 13, 2004

Our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of Det. Patrick Rafferty. Your Brother and Sister officers from Upstate NY will pray for your strength.

PO Jack McMahon
Troy P.D.

September 13, 2004

Our sincere thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to the family of Detective Rafferty and his other family - the NYPD. May Our Lord greet Detective Rafferty with open arms in Heaven and reward him for the hero he was here on Earth. God bless him and the members of the New York City Police Department.

Assistant Chief Bill Healy
United States Secret Service Uniformed Division

September 13, 2004

ALL of our Officers, both Civilian and Military, are grieving over the loss of Detective Patrick Rafferty. Condolences and prayers for his loved ones, Police family, and Friends. Detective Rafferty....you did, "Protect and Serve". All of us thank you for your commitment. What a MENTOR. We, (all Police Officers), know why you responded with dedication.

Detective
NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, CHARLESTON, SC

September 13, 2004

There are no words that can express my sorrow to the family, friends, members of the 67 Squad & Precinct on the loss of Det Rafferty. . I did not have the pleasure of working with or knowing Det. Raferrty but from what I heard about him the NYPD and the City of New York will be at a loss. Without thinking twice Det. Rafferty answered Det. Parker's question of who will go out on this case with me. To often in life, members of law enforcement do no take the time to appreciate life and all that life offers. Det. Rafferty did take the time to appreciate life and his family. Today I will stop to apprecciate what I have because of Det. Rafferty. Without rules there is anarchy. without Law Enforcement there is chaos

Detective Patrick J. Donohue
New York City Police Department

September 13, 2004

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for your bravery, courage and commitment to the badge – your hard work and valiant efforts will never be forgotten.

A Relative of Officer Robert Stanze
EOW: August 8, 2000

September 13, 2004

You are in our thoughts and prayers. Detective Rafferty gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting the members of his community. You now walk a beat where there is no violence, only peace. See you on the other side.

First Sergeant Salvatore Torelli
Fauquier County Sheriff's Office,VA

September 13, 2004

Step forward now, Detective,
You've born your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in hell.

We've got it from here Brother.

Officer
Killeen Police Department

September 13, 2004

On behalf of the men and women of Industry Sheriff's Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of Detective Rafferty and Detective Parker. Having recently lost Deputy Michael Arruda (EOW 06-15-04), we know all too well the pain and reality of losing one of our own. Losing two at the same time is incomprehensible. Please take comfort from knowing your extended law enforcement family grieves with you.

Rest in peace, Detective Rafferty.

Industry Sheriff's Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

September 13, 2004

May God surround Detective Rafferty's wife, children, family, friends and co-workers with his grace and peace. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Psalm 55:22

Denise Nichols - surviving spouse
Alabama State Trooper Brian Nichols EOW 2/17/2002

September 13, 2004

May your family and friends find peace in these heart felt reflections. You are both true hero's. May your spirits have quick journeys home and a joyous homecoming celebration. Go rest high on the mountain!

D/Sgt. Vencent Woods
State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

September 13, 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

September 13, 2004

God bless you and your family at this time of sorrow. You will never be forgotten.

DE
St. Louis City Police

September 13, 2004

Rest in peace.

Offc. Michael Walker
Tallahassee Police Department

September 13, 2004

Out thought and prayers go out to Detective Rafferty, his family and the NYPD. Rest in Peace.

Officers of the Foreign Mission Branch
U.S. Secret Service/Uniformed Division

September 13, 2004

My deepest sympathy to the Rafferty family. May God watch over you in this very trying time.

Robert Gordon
Father of Michael P. Gordon, EOW: 8/8/04

Robert Gordon
Riverside PD, Ret.

September 13, 2004

To the family, friends and co-workers of Detective Rafferty, my prayers go out to you, the pain you are feeling right now is unbelieveable. It will be that way for a long time, I know that I'm still feeling the same feelings 8 months later. The only things that helps me is that I knew Clint loved being a police officer and would not have traded places with anyone.
Detective Rafferty I know that your family will miss you everyday but we will never forget you. Tell Clint we miss him everyday.

Connie Barker
Mother of Clint Walker E.O.W. 1-14-04

September 13, 2004

What do you do with pain like this? To the family of Det. Rafferty, may you gain some comfort in knowing he is in a better place smiling down on us all. Sometime during our grieving we forget that. What does I take? What will it take to change the essence of mans thinking? I can only hope that one day GOD Himself will get so tired of the countless acts of violence and return to adjust the free will thinking of these ignorant perps. May GOD keep all my brothers and sisters and blue safe. And please guys, PLEASE BE SAFE OUT THERE. WE ARE ALL EACH OTHER HAS GOT.

Poilce Officer Jason Chandler
New York City police Dept.

September 13, 2004