For most of us it begins with an announcement of 'breaking news'. A reporter announces that a law enforcement officer has been shot and the circumstances are still sketchy. Some of us receive the news through an urgent telephone call. Or our pagers go off. A few of us hear the first chaotic radio call: something is very wrong and we can hear it in the broadcast.

This past year and a half has seen an uncharacteristically large number of line of duty deaths among law enforcement officers in Washington State.

We have lost four officers: Deputy Ann Jackson Skagit County: Officer Kristine Marie Fairbanks, United States Forest Service: Deputy Mike Gallagher, Lewis County: and, most recently Officer Timothy Brenton, Seattle Police Department.

I write these words after returning from Officer Brenton's funeral in Seattle. I have been to too many law enforcement funerals and they are always large and powerful and tremendously sad. There are grieving colleagues and family members. There is always an honor guard and the playing of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and taps last of all with a final hand salute. It was the same for Officer Timothy Brenton.

These funerals are powerful to law enforcement personnel because many of us have been in similar situations - - - serving a warrant, or responding to a priority call on a dark road, or dealing with a familiar mentally ill person or simply being approached by a citizen. And time after time, even when danger was present, for most of us, things turned out well.

Line of duty deaths remind us that in America today, things do not always turn out well. Line of duty deaths remind us that our jobs are inherently dangerous. They remind us that, ultimately, the consequences of this can devastate families and Departments and entire communities.

When a line of duty death occurs we are also reminded of how the supportive and sympathetic the public can be. We register this with gratefulness, and some humility and even a little surprise. On these occasions, ordinary citizens show that they appreciate and respect the difficulty, the unpredictability and danger of the work.

Line of duty deaths draw into sharp focus the fact that duty and obligation and sacrifice are the best and most valuable qualities of the men and women in law enforcement.

Our community would be stronger if more people understood the value of duty and obligation and sacrifice.

Now that the funeral is over and the news coverage is ending, perhaps we could best honor the memory of Officer Brenton and others who have died by turning our attention to the law enforcement officers who day-after-day, shift-after-shift regularly make sacrifices and take risks on our behalf.

Perhaps we could best honor the memories of those have died by finding ways to support and uphold those who are serve us today. Perhaps the most lasting tribute we could make and the best thing that we could do for our own safety and well-being is to find ways to make their work safer and more effective.

Ask yourself this question: What could you do to contribute to the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement officers in your community?

Sheriff Paul Pastor