* A Policeman That Made a Difference *

If you can't call the police, who can you turn to?

That's the dilemma I faced eleven years ago when a resident complained to me about officers not responding to calls of violence. After looking further into the complaint, I found a community crying out for help.

People had lost pride in their neighborhoods. They'd accepted run down conditions and the illegal activity taking place on their streets. My heart was moved by their circumstances and I was determined to do something about them.

I started with a good old-fashioned cleanup. Working in my off-hours, I organized a picnic in the park, offering a barbecue with all the fixin's to anyone who would help with the cleanup effort. One hundred ninety people showed up and we went to work. We removed abandoned cars, pulled weeds in front of houses, and painted over every 

But the drug users and dealers still owned the streets, so I went after them full force. The problem was that ours was a close-knit community, and I was arresting the sons, brothers, friends, and relatives of the same people who were helping me clean up. Sparks flew.

I received threats on my life. A man was arrested for attempting to kill me. People taunted me on the streets. Someone spray-painted "Kill Wayne Barton" on a stop sign. They clearly wanted me out of there. But I wasn't about to leave.

I felt a strong calling from God, and his message was clear to me: "Stay focused on your purpose and don't get hung up on the process." I was there to stay and hoped that over time the people would begin to understand what I was really all about.

The turning point came during a community meeting when the anger was high. People were demanding that I leave. Then a woman named Miss Jackson stood up and told the crowd,

"I can now go to my mailbox and don't have to sleep on the floor because I'm worried about a stray bullet hitting me in the head. Until this man came to the community, there was no peace."

After that, a whole wave of people followed with their own testimonies. That meeting turned everything around.

With the department's support, we opened a study center for the neighborhood children with three paid teachers who tutored from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. every day. We opened up computer labs for the kids, developed workshops for parents who wanted to earn their high school equivalency certificates, and provided credit counseling, planning for first-time home buyers, and plenty more.

If the community had a problem, I tried to find a cure.

What a difference a year makes! In time, instead of throwing rocks and bottles at the police, the local residents cheered for us. They tipped us to a violent crime on our new hotline. A sense of community was being restored and people were accepting the responsibility for their role in the change.

Why? The payoff was living in a community where the children could play outside without fear. The children have been able to do that now for over ten years.

When you come across challenges when pursuing a goal, stay focused on your purpose and remain determined to deal with whatever comes your way. If you hang in there, your sense of purpose will inspire others, and together, you'll be unstoppable!

~ The above words are those of Police Officer Wayne Barton in Boca Raton, Florida, who has been a city police officer for seventeen years and has been practicing community policing for ten years. He received Parade magazine's 1988 Police Officer of the Year Award and the 1990 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service. His supporters have their own web site at http://www.bartonsboosters.com/gettoknow.htm where you can get to know him and his work better. [Let's do this for our city] ~

~ The above words were recorded by author and coach, Cynthia Kersey, and are in her book "UNSTOPPABLE: 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from People Just Like You" which can be reviewed and, if you decide to, wisely purchased on her website at http://www.unstoppable.net/products_unstoppable.htm ~

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