More Sadness

Symbols rarely evoke emotions for me, except for one. One of the absolutely saddest sights for me is the American flag flying at half mast. And that is what I saw out my office window all day, as St. Paul had to bury one of its police officers who was killed in the line of duty. I could never find the courage to be a cop. Especially one who goes undercover to bust human and drug trafficking rings.

Today, this letter was in the Opinions sections of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

A true hero

As director of PRIDE (from Prostitution to Independence, Dignity and Equality) at Family and Children's Service, I have to tell you about our experience with Sgt. Gerry Vick.

He was a remarkable human being. I can't begin to tell you the number of women and teens Gerry helped get out of prostitution.

And do you know how he did it? He genuinely cared about them -- about their lives, their children and their futures.

He listened to their stories and wanted to know about their families. He even shared things about his family and his life with them. He treated everyone the same: with dignity and respect.
When the news hit the streets about Gerry, we all cried. How could someone who had saved so many be gone?

The PRIDE women and teens he had helped and our staff are all devastated. Our hearts go out to his family.

We know the work that he and the St. Paul Police Department are doing to end the vicious cycle of prostitution will continue.

But it won't be the same without Gerry. He personally changed lives every day, and many days, he literally saved them.

Lani Suarez, Minneapolis.

Click here for the link.

Also, a college fund has been established for the children of Sergeant Vick:

Sergeant Jerry Vick Memorial Fund
C/O City and County Credit Union
144 11th Street East
Saint Paul, MN 55101