Police officers face the unexpected

In just a matter of seconds, a routine police call can turn into a potentially deadly situation.

Members of the Kingston Township Police Department most recently experienced such as scenario in the early morning of Saturday, June 27. Officers Charles Rauschkolb and Wade Curtis were looking for a man reportedly in a creek in Jackson Township when Robert J. Verosky III, of Harveys Lake, allegedly pulled out of the Farmers Inn and struck Rauschkolb.

Rauschkolb landed on Curtis and both men ended up on the pavement with non-life threatening injuries. They are currently on medical leave.

“My officers know what their job is,” said Kingston Township Police Chief James Balavage. “They understand through training and the work that they do that anything can happen.”

Balavage first joined the Kingston Township Police Department as a part-time officer in 1979. He was hired full-time in 1981 and served for eight years as a patrolman until he became sergeant in 1989. In 1993, Balavage was promoted to chief and has served in that position since.

Although it’s uncommon for officers to be struck by a car, close-call situations can occur as often as once a week, Balavage says. The most dangerous calls involve family disputes.

“It’s very important that officers remain in a zone of readiness that the general public really doesn’t have a concept of,” Balavage said.

Balavage recalls several instances over the years where officers unexpectedly ended up in danger.

Once, an officer on patrol discovered a burglary in progress and chased two male suspects for about one mile. The officer jumped over an embankment in the chase, losing his gun and handcuffs when he landed. Luckily, he was able to retrieve his handcuffs and safely apprehend the suspects.

In another case, an officer performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a child who was not breathing. The child died and the officer later learned the child had meningitis. The officer had to take potent antibiotics and monitor his health to prevent himself from developing the disease.

During a similar occasion, an officer was bitten by someone he was trying to arrest. He later found out the man had Hepatitis C.

Yet another time, an officer responded to a suicidal woman at Frances Slocum State Park. The woman took tranquilizers and drove her car into the lake. The officer took off his gun and dove in after her, risking his life to get her to land. Unfortunately, the woman was already dead.

“I think as time goes on, these kinds of incidents where officers’ lives are put in danger will increase, not decrease,” Balavage said, citing changes in society.

Balavage says the department takes many measures to ensure officer safety, including ongoing training. One example is that officers now wear reflective green clothing while on the highway in non-emergency situations such as clearing the scene of a vehicle crash or directing traffic.

The department has also recently developed a contingency plan in the event the swine flu becomes a pandemic in our area.

Members of the public can also do things to help protect police such as slowing down and getting in another lane when they see an officer pulled over on the side of the road, Balavage says.

“Law enforcement officers are out there doing the job they are required to do,” Balavage said. “Whether the public appreciates that or not is something we can’t force on them. Please understand officers are out there to serve you and help you.”

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