Q&A
What’s the hardest part of being an LEO?
“The hardest part is dealing with & being surrounded by so much negativity, constantly. If you let it, the job will eat you alive. You have to find a way to maintain a positive attitude & not let all of the negativity drag you down.”
What’s the best part of being an LEO?
“The best part is the satisfaction felt upon conclusion of those opportunities when we really get to help someone, &/or actually see justice served. As a supervisor & teacher, I also really enjoy helping new officers learn the job & "find their way" as a LEO, so to speak.”
Who do you most ride your motorcycle with?
“That would be my youngest daughter, Lorelei. I think she may love to ride as much as I do. We recently rode the new bike up to Broken Bow, OK, which is a nice little day trip from Paris. My wife & other daughter drove up too & we spent the afternoon floating the river. One of my favorite trips ever was three years ago when Lorelei & I rode up to Broken Bow on her 13th birthday. We hung out & kind of played around in the river for a little while, then rode up into Arkansas & grabbed a bite to eat at a Mexican restaurant before riding back home to Paris. We had a great day & ride together.”
We noticed the Patriot Guard decal on the front of your bike. What’s that about?
The PGR is the only real “group” I ride with. I’m specifically a part of the ETPGF (East Texas PGR). The group was founded in 2005, & is an organization based in the US whose members attend the funerals of members of the U.S. military and first responders at the invitation of a decedent's family. The PGR performs various duties, depending on the needs/wants of the family, including: holding flag lines at the funeral home & cemetery, escorting the procession, playing Taps, folding & presenting the flag, etc.
A common misconception is that you must be a veteran of the armed forces & ride a motorcycle to join the PGR & be a member. While the majority of PGR members do seem to be riders & veterans, neither of these are a requirement. Anyone can join, "All you need is respect...& a desire to show it."
We’re sure Steven has a plethora of stories from both serving and riding and we’re sad we didn’t have time to hear even more. We did finish on two last questions to wrap this up...
We’re sure Steven has a plethora of stories from both serving and riding and we’re sad we didn’t have time to hear even more. We did finish on two last questions to wrap this up...
Why do you serve?
I serve because it is what I am called to do. We are commanded by Jesus to love The Lord, & to love our neighbors... I can't think of a better way to do that than to Protect & Serve my community as a first responder.
Why do you ride?
It’s fun and its therapeutic. I used to have a t-shirt that said, ”You never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist's office". I believe there's some truth to that. It's only a 5-10 minute ride from my house downtown to the PD, but often at the end of a long & trying day, I take "the long way" home on the bike to clear my head.