Crime fighters don’t need training wheels

Crime fighters don’t need training wheels
By: Darci Werner

From the moment we bring our children home, they are a ball of movement focused on exploring life and making every moment their own. Some start out with the walkers that help build their legs to get ready to run then a scooter-style toy that relies on pure leg power for its operation. Once the shoes are scraped and torn from dragging behind the scooter, it is time for an upgrade to a small bike or Big Wheel. Nothing spells freedom to the young mind more than a three-wheeled movable machine.

Our son was no different. We enjoyed watching him through those first years as he developed with each outdoor item that lifted his level of independence and creativity. Each day was an adventure as the local crime fighter. The Cop on patrol, the New Sheriff in town, the one that bad guys fear!

Big wheels are great for fighting crime. You can pedal fast down the sidewalk and then lock up the pedals, do a quick spin and apprehend the enemy trying to get away. When your knees start hitting the handlebars and skidding to a stop tips over the patrol car, it is time for an upgrade to a faster vehicle of apprehension.

Then came the “Big Boy Bike.” This can be a scary transition going from three wheels down to two! It’s a proud moment for everyone involved and just as daunting for Mom and Dad. As parents, we opted for training wheels to reduce the anxiety. It creates a level of trust in two small wheels that perform a big job of protecting your child.

Once outfitted with the new dual equipment options, our crime fighter was back in business. His confidence grew daily with his new partners. He was assured that the two small wheels contained magic keeping him from tipping over. His patrol gear would be strapped on with homemade belts and holsters, a hat and some days even a mask. Not just any mask, but a Lone Ranger mask.

As true civil servants, days can be filled with varieties of adventures. Not every call is to chase down a bad guy. He informed us that our streets tend to be home to wandering cows. One day would catch him lassoing imaginary cattle that got away and riding them over to the nearby tree. These were special cows that climbed trees. So once back to the barn-tree, the cows would climb up for safety and off he would ride (like the wind) to rustle up more cows that got away. That day, he stopped long enough to ask for a snack. Rescuing cows is hard work. Every crime fighter needs a break to regain strength with a peanut butter sandwich, which he gladly shared up in the tree with the imaginary cows.

Many miles were put on those poor little wheels. They were his patrol partners, used for guiding his mobile security unit in pursuit of bad guys. It didn’t take long before this first pair of training wheels were soon worn thin and bent beyond repair. One would be higher than the other, allowing the bike to teeter back and forth on the single back wheel. We tried to remove the wheels for good and retire their service. But he would have nothing of the sort so another pair of trainers was hired as new patrol partners. There was no convincing this crime fighter that he no longer needed them as back up and could do law enforcement without them. Each time he would refuse to acknowledge his patrol unit any other way.

As suspected, the second set of trainers showed their state of abuse. We would continually ask him if he was ready to take them off. But he always said “no, I need them.” It became a daily ritual of tightening the nuts and bolts to keep them functioning to the best of their ability.

One afternoon as he was on duty, hat on, hero mask adorning his face. He was racing up and down the sidewalk across from the house as fast as his legs could pedal. There was no stopping him as he sped down the sidewalk to do a quick jump off the bike, turn around and patrol back in the opposite direction. There was no super hero cape flapping in the wind, just the set of training wheels. The pair of backup supporters was sticking straight out into the air as if standing at attention. He had ridden all afternoon that way with these crime fighting partners just waiting for a moment to be relieved of duty and retire.

The time had come and there was no going back. Our son realized something very important that day. Crime fighters don’t need training wheels.

Darci Werner is a police wife residing in Province, Iowa. She thanks Blue Magazine for providing alternative topics for all who support law enforcement and is honored to share police family life stories.