The Spouses Behind The Badge

by Lacey Shumard
Jacqulyn Colston and Joe Colston
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By: Lacey Shumard

When it comes to how law enforcement currently is viewed with all that is going on in the country its easy to forget all the sacrifices that the police make to keep us and our loved ones safe. The long hours, the putting your life in harms way to keep others safe, the constant criticism, at times it can be a thankless job. Few know this better than the spouses behind the badge. We have interviewed two wives of local police officers to get a good look into what its really like.

Jacqulyn Colston who is married to the Monroe County Sheriff Joe Colston says that the hardest part of being married to a law enforcement officer is the frustration he has sometimes. They work extremely hard and countless hours on different cases just to see the offenders re-offend and back in court or in jail for short periods of time. The things that she admires the most about her husband is the love that he has for his job. His dedication to the community to help provide us a safe place to raise our children. As a law enforcements wife her biggest worry is that he will not come home. His job is very scary in today’s world. The thing that she wishes the public would understand is that these men and women in law enforcement are normal people with normal lives and families.
Another wife of a law enforcement officer is Cameron Crigler who is the wife of Sgt. Zane Crigler of the Shelbina PD . She says that she feels the hardest part “is the emotions that come with the job. There are days he comes home, and cannot discuss what happened, but I can tell it was draining. There are also the schedule differences, at one point I was working days and he was working nights. So, we only saw each other a few hours a week. He also misses most holidays.” What she admires most about her husband is his work ethic, and his compassion for others, regardless of the circumstances. When asked what her biggest concerns would be she stated “My biggest concern is the weight the title carries. In today’s society, you never know where the support lies. He has to walk into every situation, regardless of how minor it may be, with all guards up.” She wishes people would understand, that when they come home, they are still human. They are faced with tremendous public responsibilities, but they still come home to families every day, and are expected to keep their emotions in check, and leave work at the department. Sometimes it feels like people are unable to separate the person from the title, and it strains relationships with friends, and family.

Its important for all to realize that all officers have families and the least we can do is give them the respect that is deserved. Thank you to all of our law enforcement and spouses behind the badge.