There is something going on in La MARQUE. Citizens are stepping up, getting involved, deciding its time to learn something, do something, commit to something and the La Marque P.D. is leading the charge.
Through the leadership of Chief Jackson, the guidance of Lt. Spruill and the vision and passion of one Abby Cash, an organization that not too long ago consisted of 8 people is now well over 40 and about to top 60 citizens of this little town who are coming to see that it takes a combined effort and a belief in the power of change to make a real and lasting difference.
Pictured here is the newest class of La Marque Citizen Police Academy attendees. They are a diverse group. From city councilman to grandmother; retiree to pastor, these people are committing to learning about their city. They will spend the next eleven weeks learning what this city’s first responders – from Dispatch to Admin; from Patrol to Undercover to Canine – face each day and night as they work to keep the city safe and prosperous.
Recently, the state organization of Citizen Police Academy Alumni recognized the La Marque CPA as the most community-involved organization in the entire state of Texas. Organizations with literally hundreds of members and years and years of involvement recognized this tiny band of passionate believers as impacting their community in a more effective, inspired and engaging manner than every other CPA. The structure of the training, the involvement of and access to, the officers themselves, the commitment to the project by the Chief, all make this an organization that is moving the needle in a way that changes minds and hearts.
This first class came together for the first time this last Thursday. They met the Chief, saw many of the officers as they went about their duties and then they received a tour of the building. There is not a lot of space in this building which used to be a church. The rooms are small. There are very few private offices. Storage is at a premium and everywhere you look you can see the attempts to make the best of a limited environment.
You can tell you are in the Records Department because there are two walls of Bankers Boxes full of files. Dispatch is small and full of computer screens. There is room for two individuals to work and not much more. There are no windows, just wall to wall equipment. Dispatchers spend 12-hour shifts in that room taking 911 calls and text messages, PD and Fire calls, and they have the ability to respond to alert buttons teachers now wear since the Santa Fe shooting. Fortunately, there have as yet been no calls coming through on that system.
There is a tiny room that shares a wall with a bathroom and the jail where people are taken to be interviewed. It looks much like the interview rooms you see on shows like The First 48, only much, much smaller. Unfortunately, there is no real designated space for victims or family that would be what they refer to as a “soft room” so they often end up in the interview room as well.
Officers share what might be considered to be a break room except it is lined with equipment along the walls. This is where the officers work when they are not on patrol. Conditions are not ideal for this department; at least as far as the physical workplace. However, one would be hard put to find a group of people more dedicated to their purpose; more loyal to one another; more willing to come to work day after day, without complaint, and do the important work that must be done with dedication, excellence, compassion and a shared belief in their city and their cause.
Yep, something is definitely going on in La Marque. The status quo is being challenged and there is something in the air. It smells just like a new day dawning.
If you would like to be a part of a movement to make a real and lasting difference in this world, you can find the La Marque CPAAA on Facebook and Instagram or simply call (409) 938-9269 and ask for Lt. Spruill or Ms. Abby Cash
