On November 15th, 2025, I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in the city of Independence’s police ride-along program. I was partnered up with Officer Jamie Welsh, who couldn’t have been a more divine match for my intentions of gaining experience and knowledge to authenticate the police officers in my spiritual warfare books.

Riding with Officer Welsh

Despite having preferred to spend his twelve-hour shift to himself, Officer Welsh spent eleven hours answering every single question I had related to his occupation and to hypothetical situations from my book. Not once was I made to feel unwelcome by him, and I never got the impression that my unquenchable curiosity was bothersome to him. He ever so graciously explained police procedures and terminology so I could comprehend the information and then apply it to my story. Going one step further, he tailored all of his responses to what I’d told him about my book and characters specifically. I couldn’t be more grateful for all his investment into making my ride along the most informative eleven hours of my life.

Officer Welsh was a wicked awesome dude worthy of character inspiration all on his own. As soon as he walked in to collect me for the ride, I thanked God that I got paired with him because he looked like the type of guy who dominates when challenged and tells it like it is, and he did not disappoint! Welsh also had a knack for physics and was able to teach me how bullets would react under all sorts of conditions. He had outstanding command presence and had control over every scene he stepped foot on. I’ll never forget how badass he looked with his assault rifle in his lap on that last call. The threat of a suicide turning into a homicide had him at the ready to defend himself, the public, and me depending on how the situation went down. No matter what the action was that day, Welsh was ready to gear up and answer the call, and it’s men like him that make our city and lives safer.

Perspective on the Police

I encourage everyone to participate in a ride along. Not only will it open your eyes to why the law is effective when enforced, but it’ll broaden your perspective on the officers who enforce it. As someone who’s never gotten in trouble with the police, I had very little interaction with officers before starting the Citizen’s Academy class through the police department, so my understanding of law enforcement was based on the skewed and often inaccurate perception of them in the media and movies. Cops really aren’t what you likely believe they are—they’re better.

Getting to spend some time with on-duty officers humanizes them. Instead of just seeing a uniform, you get to see the person underneath. Spending eleven hours in the car with Officer Welsh allowed me to get to know a little bit about him, his family, his likes and dislikes, his pet peeves, and his outlook on his job. He’s a highly intelligent, quick-witted man who loves his family and has a blunt, sarcastic sense of humor that had me constantly entertained. In every car is a person like Jamie Welsh. A human being with someone hoping they make it home alive at the end of the day. Don’t let media or movies persuade you to believe they’re anything less.

Also, I guarantee that what you think you know about what cops actually do or think while on duty likely isn’t what they’re actually doing or thinking.

A Few Things I Learned

• When you see a cop, don’t let the first words out of your mouth be “I didn’t do it.” That’s like telling a cashier that something “must be free” because it won’t scan. Nobody wants to hear the same line a thousand times. Cops appreciate a simple nod or friendly wave.
• Don’t approach officers and ask for legal advice—they can’t provide it to you. There are all sorts of circumstantial factors that prevent this, including but not limited to whose jurisdiction the case falls under, when the incident occurred, and the fact that they don’t have time to obtain all the case-specific details necessary to offer advice. You pull up on an officer and ask for advice, the only advice you’re getting is to file a report at the station.
• If a cop pulls up behind you in traffic, get out of their way. Some calls require them to arrive quickly without lights and sirens, so you slowing down to not get a ticket is actually impeding the flow of traffic and preventing them from doing their job. Get into the other lane and let them pass you.
• If they have their lights and sirens on and they pull up behind you when you’re stopped at a red light, MOVE! Every second you spend debating what you should do instead of taking action to do something is a second shaved off the call they’re responding to. That precious time could be the difference between someone living or dying, someone being found or lost, or someone getting caught or escaping.

I firmly believe everyone who has an opinion about the police should participate in a ride along to gain a realistic perspective. Officer Welsh was the coolest guy, and he quite literally brought to life scenes similar to those in my book that I’d only ever seen play out in my head. His humor and knowledge made the slow start to the day memorable, and his generosity at providing in-depth answers to all of my questions has been imperative to the chapters I’ve already written and the ones to come. I couldn’t be more grateful to have been partnered with him for this unforgettable experience.