SALUTE TO AN OFFICER WHO FELL IN BATTLE FOR A SAFE SOCIETY

On Friday, I had the honor of celebrating the life of a fellow
officer who was killed in the line of duty.

Officer Sergio Carrera, of the Rialto Police Department, was gunned
down during a drug raid by an alleged suspect with a criminal past.

Nothing cuts closer to your heart than to lose one of your own.
Officer Carrera was a dedicated and professional officer who helped
to better the world around him.

Shortly after joining the police force, he became a member of the
California Narcotics Officers Association. One of his passions was
taking drug dealers off the streets to help protect our
communities.

Officer Carrera leaves behind a wife and two small children. During
the funeral his small son, maybe just 2 years of age, reached out to
his father's flag-draped coffin, while his little sister was held in
the arms of his mother.

The overwhelming feelings for this family and what they have been
going through are beyond description. The sacrifice this officer made
for each one of us was made even more evident after witnessing such
sorrow.

As we drove from the church to the cemetery in a long procession of
police cars with emergency lights on, I witnessed the continued
strength and brotherhood of all the men and women who serve our
communities.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the freeways from Chino Hills
to Colton. At every overpass and every on-ramp stood police officers,
and at times civilians, standing at attention, saluting the long
procession line. The freeway overpasses were at a standstill as city
and county firefighters stood atop their rigs - they, too, standing
at attention and saluting.

The procession line was so long it took nearly 30 minutes until all
had arrived at the cemetery. Standing side by side, fellow brothers
and sisters who wear the uniform solidified the dedication that cops
have for one another, especially when one has fallen.

I spoke with officers from around the state and nation who traveled
here to celebrate the life of an officer, but also to console the
officer's family and the family of police officers who worked with
him.

This was not my first funeral for a fellow officer, and sadly won't
be my last. From each one I gain continued strength to stand side by
side with my brothers and sisters who are continuously in the streets
fighting against a criminal element in our society that has become
more ruthless, more evil and more dangerous.

As violent crime rises in many cities around our nation, let's never
forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect us.

Police officers are like the firefighters pushing back against the
flames that can bring harm to all of us if not stopped.

Sadly, 2007 has been a very violent year for police officers with a
near record being killed. In a few short months, Officer Carrera's
name will be forever etched into the National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., as well as our state's
memorial in Sacramento.

Our community must continue to place our full support behind the men
and women in uniform. They are the sole defenders of a very thin blue
line that separates society from anarchy.

Having stood next to America's finest at the funeral, I'm confident
that line will hold so long as we continue to have the full support
of our communities alongside us.

As I walked through the cemetery back to my car, a deputy sheriff
from Contra Costa approached me. We spoke briefly, exchanged a hug
and his parting words were, "It was nice to meet you brother. I hope
we never meet again like this."

If only that could be true.

Paul Chabot is a reserve deputy for the San Bernardino County
Sheriff's Department.

He lives in Rancho Cucamonga.