Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

My thoughts are with Jared's widow and his kids.

Ern KOHN CommCh
Grand/Ducal Police

January 6, 2012

R.I.P. brother!

Patrolman Chris J. Rohner
Ostrander Police Dept.

January 6, 2012

IN HONORE CASORUM
Gone, but not forgotten.

Sgt. T. Jake Jones
Greater Cleveland Transit Police Department

January 6, 2012

Jared I love u and will miss u brother.

sgt nate hutchinson
wmnsf

January 6, 2012

Rest in Peace brother.

Det. Castelhano 160
Mount Vernon NY PD

January 6, 2012

These deaths have really been leaving me speechless. Often i wonder how families will heal. I pray for peace that goes against understanding. Peace in the midst of dark pain. RIP

Dy. Teekell
East Baton Rouge Sheriff Office

January 6, 2012

God Bless! You and your family are in our hearts.

Investigator/Officer M.E. Schermerhorn
Scotia (NY) Police Department

January 6, 2012

My heart and prayers are with Mrs. Francom and the young children left behind to pick up the pieces and move forward, may these children know that we will never forget their daddy and that he is a hero. Rest in peace Agent Francom and thank you sir for a job well done.

Deb Azure
Mother of Deputy Renee Danell Azure
EOW 08/06/02
Union County SO, Lake Butler, FL

Deb

January 6, 2012

My honest and heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of agent Francom. As an ex Police Officer myself, every Officer passing away deeply hurts me, even if I am not in the USA. Law and good order is what keeps all societies together, and agent Francom was serving to protect these most valuable principles. I salute you and your family with respect sir.

Louis Malan, Sergeant (Ret), 0441769-1
South African Police

January 6, 2012

God bless you for being a hero and God be with your family during this terribly tragic time. RIP Brother.

SMD
FCSO, TX

January 6, 2012

The city of Ogden & its residents are less safe tonight with the death of Officer Francom; he was willing to do what so many of us weren't so that we might all sleep safely in our beds at night & for that, no thanks are ever enough. God bless the Francom family, the injured officers & their families, & all the other law enforcement personnel around the globe.

Stephanie Stegen
Ogden resident

January 6, 2012

May god go with you, brother, and take you to a better place. I pray for your family, friends, and department. I hope you knew that you were a hero in all of our eyes.

HSSA David Boston
United States Navy, Hospital corpsman, Great lakes, IL

January 6, 2012

SITTING IN MY SQUAD CAR HERE IN CALIFORNIA SIDE BY SIDE TO MY PARTNER, CAR ON QUICK MEET AND DEBRIEF. HE ASKED IF I HEARD ABOUT THE OFFICERS IN OGDEN. I OPENED UP THE MCT AND JUST READ THE STORY. ALL TOO FAMILAR, I AM SAD TO SAY. RIP AND MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. GOD SPEED. PRAYERS FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO THE OTHER OFFICERS INVOLVED AND ALL THIER LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS.

MATT LYONS
OCEANSIDE, CA P.D.

January 6, 2012

Erin, thinking of you and your family today and praying for you to have strength during this difficult time. Know that your husband's legacy will live on in your children, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

SAO,
Theresa

"It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived."
—Vivian Eney Cross

PSD II Theresa Saracco *890
Joliet IL PD~co-worker of Ofc. Jon Walsh *305, EOW 08/20/04

January 6, 2012

My wife and I send our blessings for the family of Officer Francom. I had a son and daughter-in-law killed by a drunk driver in 1992 on New Years morning and the person that killed was taken in by officers from OPD and Weber County. and I think back of all the help and thoughtfulness that OPD gave to our family in time of need. We just want you all to know that we to share in your loss and are praying for the Francom family and those officers that are wounded that they will recover and have good health once again. God bless all the families and your communities.

Mitch and Jo an Larsson, Olympia, Washington

Officer Mitch Larsson- retired
Utah State Ranger and Past Chief of Harrissville City PD

January 6, 2012

Another Sheepdog has made the ultimate sacrifice. I pray that God flood the hearts of Agent Francom's family and fellow officers with His peace. Agent Francom, thank you for your service - Rest in Peace. We will take the watch from here.

Sgt. Shawn Oligney
Outagamie County Sheriff's Dept, Wisconsin

January 6, 2012

"The Final Inspection"

The policeman stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, policeman.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?"

The policeman squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't,
Because those of us who carry badges
can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was rough,
and sometimes I've been violent,
Because the streets are awfully tough.

But I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't.....I'll understand.

There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod.
As the policeman waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

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

Lauren, Ca
Family of LEO

January 6, 2012

May you rest in peace brother.

K9 Officer Craig Payne
Lorain Police Department
Lorain, Ohio

January 6, 2012

God rest you brother. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. God be with you and your family.

Former Deputy Dan

January 6, 2012

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Agent Jared Francom as well as the brotherhood at Ogden Police Department. May you rest in God's eternal peace our brother!

Detective Mark Techmanski
City of Syracuse (NY) Police Department

January 6, 2012

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind,

gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." We

may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still

remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who

are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme

provocation. They are sheep.



Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.

Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without

mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are

capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so,

you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.



Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock

and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a

healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence

and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive

sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep

love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a

warrior, someone who is walking the unchartered path. Someone who can walk

into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out

unscathed.



We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They

do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the

fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire

sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But

many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in

their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be

killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's

only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone

coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the

path of denial.



The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf.

He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that

the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep

dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and

removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a

representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog

disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the

land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them

traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage

fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog

cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf

shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely

sheepdog.



The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high

school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had

the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had

nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and

SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to

physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.



This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at

the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf

pounded hard on the door. Remember how America more than ever before, felt

differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it

is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny

critter. He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the

breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a

righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous

battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the

sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.



Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend

the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the

attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in

America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs,

the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those

planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." You want to be able to make

a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the

warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that

he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent

of the population.



There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of

violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of

violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast

majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language:

slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their

victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd

that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be

sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But

I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm

proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.



Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored

in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man

on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an

operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When they learned of the

other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the

other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a

transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and

parents -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves,

ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.



There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of

evil men." - Edmund Burke. Here is the point I like to emphasize,

especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each

year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are

born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are

not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is

a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a

sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the

wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a

sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one,

but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest,

safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the

warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day

to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive

moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.



This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It

is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a

continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other

end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the

other. Most of us live somewhere in between.



Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away

from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating

their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously.

It is okay to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog. Indeed, the sheep

dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be

fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep

moving from "baa" to "thanks".



We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small

pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is

drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by "The

Almighty", and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens

just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep.

And be grateful for the thousands - -millions - - of American sheepdogs who

permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

Ofc. D Ricker
Columbus Police Department

January 6, 2012

Thanks for your service in protecting my old hometown. Rest in peace bro... See you after my watch.

Special Agent, Wes King
OIG

January 6, 2012

Rest in peace brother.....

Deputy
Grand Traverse Sheriff Department

January 6, 2012

Deepest sympathy from the WSU police academy cadets. May his family and community remember him as a beacon of inspiration and a protector of all. Agent Jared Francom, his family, and his fellow brothers and sisters are in our thoughts and prayers.

WSU Police Academy Cadet

January 6, 2012

Thank you, my Brother in Blue, for your sacrifice, love and commitment. May God grant you eternal rest and peace to those left behind.

Lt. J.D. Ross
EPSO

January 6, 2012