May 2025. BLUES Vo. 41 No. 5

LETTERS40+ YEAR READER

LETTERS40+ YEAR READER WRITES INLike death and taxes, The BLUEShas always been around.I started my police career backin the 80’s in Houston. Policing wasvery much different back then. Copshunted down thugs that preyed oninnocent people. Sure, we answeredcalls, but when given a lead asto who might have committed acrime, we actually looked for theassholes and arrested them.We didn’t have moving maps andGPS, we had KeyMaps. (google ityoungsters) Finding an address atnight wasn’t easy but once you gotthe hang of counting numbers, youfigured it out.The firearm of the day was eithera Smith .357 or a Colt.45. Glockwasn’t a thing until the 90's. Flashlightsserved dual duty as billyclubs and slid nicely in the wirecage behind your head in your 1985Crown Vic. Yes, it was differenttimes for sure.But the one thing that was true40 years ago and is true still today,is The BLUES. I remember thefirst of every month, we’d show upfor roll call (yeah google that too)and there’d be a stack of freshlyprinted Blues sitting on a table. Noone really knew when, how or whodelivered them. They just appearedone day. And on that day, whateverthe duty sergeant had to say, wasnot heard by anyone in the room asthey were reading the Blues fromcover to cover.100% of the credit for those earlydays goes to a young deputy at theSO named Mike Barron. I never methim, but he was a legend back then.Not because he was a super cop oranything, but because he wantedto find a way to unite all the cops14 The BLUES - MAY ‘25in Texas and keep us informed ofwhat was happening on the streets.So, a guy who wasn’t a writer ornewspaper guy, created this ragtagnewspaper named after a popularTV show called “Hillstreet Blues”(more to google) and as they saythe rest is history.The funny thing was, Barron neverwrote about himself in his ownnewspaper. I remember he wasselected as officer of the year bythe 100 club for saving two kids in aburning house and was on the frontpage of the local newspaper butnever mentioned it in his own. Yearslater, the editor of HPD’s policeassociation’s newspaper called theBadge & Gun, a guy named BuddyWilliams, took over the newspaperand did so until I retired in 2003.The Blues never really changed inall those years.But as the years went by, all ofus old farts ended up in nursinghomes around Houston. Several ofus HPD guys ended up on the southside in a Retirement Home. Most ofus in our 80’s now and using walkers,canes and scooters just to getfrom one room to another. Our onlyreprieve was our monthly trip toKelley’s restaurant that has beenaround forever and was started by aformer HPD officer. It was on one ofthose morning breakfasts that wehad an unexpected visitor and lowand behold it was Mr. Barron.He had been invited by one of thepolice groups to come and see usold folks and tell us that the Blueswas still around. He called it digisomething or another. Only on theinternet. (My grandson bought meone of them iPads and showed mehow to read it.) It’s like ole times.I can’t wait for the next month tocome out. Mr. Barron was so kindand took time to visit with everyone of us and listened to all ourold stories. Please tell him howmuch his visit meant to all of usold timers. I’m sure he’s a busy manand has better things to do that sitwith us old farts, but he made us allremember what being cops was allabout.Finally, I need to say I’m almost 85now and can barely hold a pen andsure as hell can’t type a letter into aphone. My grandson who is a deputysheriff, listened to me tell thisstory and offered to send it to you.He says everyone reads the Bluestoday, just like I did 40 years ago. Iguess some things never change.EDITOR: Mr. White, it was a pleasuremeeting you and the otherretired officers at Kelley's. I enjoyedspending time with you guysand hearing all your war stories.I’m grateful for the success of theBLUES and I’m so glad that it’s stillaround today for officers like yourgrandson to enjoy it. Thank youfor your many years of service tothe citizens of Houston and mayGod Bless you and the other retiredofficers that still call Houston theirhome. And thank you Deputy Whitefor sharing your grandfather’s storyand sharing the BLUES with himeach month. M.BARRONHave something you'dlike to share with ourreaders?Send your letters to:bluespdmag@gmail.com

CALLING ALL TEXAS MERCHANTSThe BLUES - MAY ‘25 15