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16th District Tactical O cer Wendy Weller with her daughters Isabella, 7, and Adeleine, 3.
There is nothing
like
a police mom
A tribute to cops who are moms and moms of
cops for Mother’s Day... and every other day
or the barbecue with their families. But the Mother’s Day that just passed, and every other day of the year, really, gives pause to celebrate and honor the moms who serve the Department, including those whose children are also serving, as well as the ones who have raised their daugh- ters and sons to serve and protect.
“When I was pregnant, I thought about how terrifying it would be to leave my daughter with somebody other my husband or me,” Weller continues. “But having my kids is pure joy. I can’t imagine being without them. You never know a greater love until you have kids.”
Perhaps that love contributes much of the caring and passion that keeps the Department going these days. You can be sure the Department owes more than a debt of gratitude to moms like Patty Casey, who has been on the job for 27 years, has a daughter who has been on the job for 15 years and two sons that are currently seeking to be- come police officers.
And there might be an even greater appreciation for mothers like Deborah Okon, who endured that unthink- able moment when she got the call that her son, Eddie, has been shot while on duty on April 25.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 56
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Lodge 7 member Wendy Weller works with a Tactical Team in 16. The team’s schedule rotates, so some weeks she is on days, some on nights and some on day-night shift.
Nights are the hardest because that’s when bedtime comes. The work doesn’t always allow a few minutes to take a call from 7-year-old daughter Isabella and 3-year- old daughter Adeleine so mommy can say “good night.”
Now, thousands of parents across the Department aren’t there at bedtime. But when you are 3-years old or 7-years old – or 12 or 15 or 18 – there’s something about having your mother there to turn out the lights and let you know everything will be alright in the way only a mom can.
“That’s the worst thing – not being home to tuck them in,” confides Weller who has been on the job for nearly 15 years, and whose husband, Peter Bucks, is also a Lodge 7 member. “It’s definitely a challenge, being a mom and a police officer. You have to make a lot of sacrifices. You have to miss a lot.”
On the Mother’s Day that just passed, there are a lot of moms who did not get to be home to share the brunch
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2016 55