Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Mark, You touched so very many lives in your short lifetime, but none so much as mine. Fifteen days ago I said good-bye to you and promised I would look out for your family. We all miss you. Your fellow police family is doing a great job of helping you wife and children. You and I have a special bond==Mother/Son==that can never be broken, even in death. I am so very proud of the work you did and the lives you touched. I like to think that your Dad and I had a hand in it!! You truly are "All that is MAN" Love, Mom

Darlene Jones/Mother

March 14, 2005

My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. Know that he is walking a better beat. Know that your husband and daddy is a hero. The most honorable job for so little thanks. But there are those of us that know the sacrifice he made.

Lake County Sheriff's Office Tavares Florida

March 14, 2005

Daddy,

We all love and miss you. We really miss the way you would joke around. We all wish you were here. I wonder what you do up there in that big open sky. Why so soon? I only spent 8 years with you.

we love and miss you,
your daughter Taylor

Taylor
Daughter of Cpl. Mark Jones

March 13, 2005

Mark,

It was exactly two weeks ago that I kissed you good-bye and sent you off to work. I never suspected it would be the last time I would ever have the chance. I will never forget the phone ringing at 4:30 Sunday morning. Somehow, I knew my worst fears had become reality. I was waiting for the chief when he arrived.

I want you to know that even now, I understand your decision to be a police officer. I am so proud of you and everything you accomplished in your life. I want everyone to know how proud and honored I am to be your wife. I will love and miss you every day of my life. With your help the girls, your Mom and Dad and I will make it through this eventually, but we will never forget you. I know you are watching over us, our own guardian
angel.

Rest easy Mark, your fellow officers have taken over the watch, your assignment here on earth has been completed.

I Love you,

Deanna

Deanna
Wife of Cpl. Jones, EOE 2/27/05

March 12, 2005

SEE YOU SOON DAD

Don't worry about us Dad.
We'll be just fine knowing
that one day we we see you again.
You may be gone in body but
not in spirit.
And you will always be here
in our hearts.
Soon we will sit down
together and talk.
We'll talk of all the wonderful
times we had with you.
You will se how much we've
grown and how much we really
look like you.
See you soon Dad and I can't
wait,cause when I do, I'll hug
you and won't let go.

Kayla
daughter of Cpl. Mark Jones

March 11, 2005

Officer Jones,
Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, Rest Easy Brother!

Dep. P. Sperandeo, Off A.Sperandeo
Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, Gretna Police Dept. LA

March 10, 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with your family and agency during this difficult step in your life. God speed.

PTL DOUGLAS LAW
N. CHAS POLICE

March 10, 2005

All of our Officers, both Civilian and Military, grieve the loss of Officer Mark Jones. Our condolences and prayers are with his Family, Police Family, and Friends. Officer Jones....We know why you responded with DEDICATION.

Officer
NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, CHARLESTON, SC

March 9, 2005

You are my Hero, my friend,and my buddy.I will always remember the joy you brought into my life. I will always remember the good times we shared, disappointments we overcame, and the special bond we had. For you will always be in my heart. You are my hero, my friend, my buddy, my Son. May you rest in peace, and God be with you. Love Dad.

Mark Jones
USMC Ret.

March 9, 2005

On behalf of the entire membership of the FBI Agents Association, I send my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of PO Jones.

Special Agent Darin L. Paul
FBI

March 9, 2005

God Bless

Staff Sgt Jeffrey Light
Beaufort County Sheriff Office

March 8, 2005

The Jone's Family,

Always remember he will never be forgotten. We love and miss him dearly. Everyday, he will remain in our hearts and prayers.

1st Sgt. Gilman and L/Cpl Gilman
Beaufort City P.D. and Beaufort County Detention Center

March 7, 2005

“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

March 7, 2005

Rest in peace Officer Jones. My deepest sympathy to the family.

Trooper
Ohio State Highway Patrol

March 7, 2005

You will never be forgotten for your service and sacrifice to your community. My heart goes out to your family and friends.

DE
St. Louis City Police

March 6, 2005

Officer Jones
Hopefully I can help answer some questions. To all those that ask you the same questions I get ask. Why did you go into the Military? Why you want to be a Cop? Well General Patton summed it up best,"Freedom has a taste, and for those that have fought for it, the taste is so sweet the protected will never know". Thank you for your service. You have made a difference. Semper Fi

LCPL CALLAIS, WARREN
BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER

March 6, 2005

To the family of Officer Jones,

May hold you close and help you to continue on as Officer Jones would have wanted you to. Each day the family of a law enforcement officer says good bye I'll see you later really not knowing if that will be their last good bye, we can only go on the faith that we are a part of that officers heart and if somethig should happen to him or her a part of us are gone as well. You can know that all law enforcement all over the US love each other and hurt even if we've never met each other. The promise to protect covers us all, the children, the wives, the parents, the family and their brothers and sisters that wear teh uniform too. We are all praying for you and hope that you can continue on to carry out your law enforcements plan. Much love from part of you LEO family in North Carolina.

Wife of a Law enforcement officer.
Mother of a Law enforcement Explorer.

God Bless you all!

March 6, 2005

WHAT IS A COP?

Cops are human ( believe it or not) just like the rest of us. They come in both sexes but mostly male. They also come in various sizes. This sometimes depends on whether you are looking for one or trying to hide something. However, they are mostly big.

Cops are found everywhere-on land, on the sea, in the air, on horses, in cars, sometimes in your hair. In spite of the fact that "you can't find one when you want one", they are usually there when it counts most. The best way to get one is to pick up the phone.

Cops deliver lectures, babies, and bad news. They are required to have the wisdom of Solomon, the disposition of a lamb and muscles of steel and are often accused of having a heart to match. He's the one who rings the door-bell, swallows hard and announces the passing of a loved one; then spends the rest of the day wondering why he ever took such a "crummy" job.

On TV, a cop is an oaf who couldn't find a bull fiddle in a telephone booth. In real life he's expected to find a little blond boy "about so high" in a crowd of a half million people. In fiction, he gets help from private eyes, reporters, and who-dun-it fans." In real life, mostly all he gets from the public is "I didn't see nuttin'."

When he serves a summons, he's a monster. If he lets you go, he's a doll. To little kids, he's either a friend or a bogeyman, depending on how the parents feel about it. He works "around the clock", split shifts, Sundays and holidays, and it always kills him when a joker says. "Hey tomorrow is Election Day, I'm off, let's go fishing" (that's the day he works 20 hours).

A cop is like the little girl, who, when she was good, was very, very good, but, when she was bad, was horrid. When a cop is good, "he's getting paid for it." When he makes a mistake, "he's a grafter, and that goes for the rest of them too." When he shoots a stick-up man he's a hero, except when the stick-up man is "only a kid, anybody coulda seen that."

Lots of them have homes, some of them covered with ivy, but most of them covered with mortgages. If he drives a big car, he's a chiseler; a little car, "who's he kidding?" His credit is good; this is very helpful, because his salary isn't. Cops raise lots of kids; most of them belong to other people.

A cop sees more misery, bloodshed, trouble, and sunrises than the average person. Like the postman, cops must also be out in all kinds of weather. His uniform changes with the climate, but his outlook on life remains about the same: mostly a blank, but hoping for a better world.

Cops like days off, vacations, and coffee. They don't like auto horns, family fights, and anonymous letter writers. They have unions, but they can't strike. They must be impartial, courteous, and always remember the slogan "At your service." This is sometimes hard, especially when a character reminds him, "I'm a taxpayer, I pay your salary."

Cops get medals for saving lives, stopping runaway horses, and shooting it out with the bandits (once in a while his widow gets the medal). But sometimes, the most rewarding moment comes when, after some small kindness to an older person, he feels the warm hand clasp, looks into grateful eyes and hears, "Thank you and God bless you."

Officer David Carroll
Choctaw Oklahoma

March 6, 2005

My fiancé, Dennis McElderry, was the first law enforcement casualty of 2003. Dennis was a Deputy Sheriff with the Davis County Sheriff's Office in southeast Iowa. Dennis died doing a job he loved, just as I'm sure Mark did. It saddens me to know that Dennis was not the first to die in the line of duty, nor will he and Mark be the last to die this way.

Having gone through the pain of losing Dennis I can truly understand and feel the pain that Officer Jones' 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 Mark 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 Mark was well respected and well loved. Mark sounds like an amazing man. You were blessed to have had him in your life, even for a short time.

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

Wishing you brighter and better days,

Jocelyne :)

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

March 6, 2005

I would like to send my heart felt condolences to the family of Officer Mark Jones, My heart goes out to his children, God bless you all during this very tragic and difficult time...

P.O. JAMES MARKHAM
Detroit P.D. 9th pct

March 5, 2005

all my condolences goes to the family of officer mark jones, officer jones thank you for your service and dedicaton provide to our community and efforts to keep public safety. RIP.
you will never be forggeten by the big family in blue.

pfc. police explorer david ramirez
Beaufort county sheriff office

March 4, 2005

God Bless Cpl.Jones and Family.

Sgt.Jameson

March 4, 2005

Rest in peace, you shall not be forgotten.

Danny Bazzell - Director
Palmdale Sheriff's Boosters, Palmdale Ca

March 4, 2005

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICE
OFFICERS SEND OUR CONDOLENCES. OUR
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH OFFICER
JONES, HIS FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS.

GOD BLESS...

PO ERNEST G. PENN
DEPT. OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICE - BUFFALO, NEW YORK

March 4, 2005

I never met Cpl. Mark Jones but I feel like I know him now. I was fortunate enough to attend not only the funeral but also spend some time with the family and officers of the Hardeeville Police Dapartment. To sit and listen to the stories and influence he had on his family and co-workers was awesome. I very much regret never meeting him but I'm thankful for the opportunity to meet everyone during this difficult time.

To the officers of the Hardeeville Police Department, thank you for showing me the true "brotherhood" of law enforcement. Remember Mark will be with you everyday you are on patrol, in the woods hunting that trophy buck, and even on that boat ramp with his digital camera waiting to take a picture of the largemouth bass you just caught. Thank you again for sharing your time of grief.

Officer Shane Pierce
Lawrenceville Police Department, GA

March 4, 2005