Note of thanks goes long way for officers
Denver, S. J. police inmourning are grateful for gesture
SAN JOSE — A San Jose native’s note of thanks left on a Denver police lieutenant’s car weeks ago has spurred an outpouring of appreciation among men and women in blue for her kind words.
But Lauren Talbert, a 27- year- old woman now living in the Mile High City, said she never expected her four sentences of thanks and appreciation, folded up in a torn piece of paper, to have such stirring repercussions.
“It really took me back at first, and I thought ‘ No, I don’t want this attention! That was not my intention,’ ” she said. “I wanted to just say thank you. People don’t need to tell me ‘ Thank you,’ they need to tell the people risking their lives, ‘ Thank you.’ ”
Her note, left on Denver Lt. Dik Kushdilian’s patrol car a week after San Jose police Officer Michael Johnson was shot and killed in the line of duty, was simple.
One side read: “Thank you! ” The other side: “Dear officer, I’m from San Jose, CA, and we lost an asset to an amazing team last week. Thank you for risking your life every day for my safety. You are important and I am super thankful for you. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and God Bless. — Lauren.”
For nearly a month, Talbert’s identity remained a mystery to the Denver Police Department, who were so touched by the note that they asked surrounding agencies as well as the San Jose Police Department to help find her so they could Lauren Talbert’s thank- you note to a Denver cop has led to widespread gratitude from police officers. return their gratitude.
Kushdilian, who found the note on his car while he ran into a store to purchase office supplies, was stunned to find the note contained thanks, not vitriol.
“Shame on me, I thought ‘ Ooh boy, I must’ve have irritated somebody or cut somebody off.’ ” he said. “I opened ( the note) up, and it was very touching.”
Kushdilian said he immediately knew the mystery writer was referencing Johnson’s death in her note, and he said his first instinct was that he wanted to thank her right back.
“She wrote this to all of us and I don’t mean all of us in Denver, all of us everywhere,” he said. “I understand there is a lot of negative vibes around my profession around the country. Some of it is justified, and some of it is not. So when I get a note like that, it makes me feel we’re doing something right.”
Talbert, who followed the news of Johnson’s death closely and who has friends who count police officers among their families, said she recognized how devastating the sudden loss of a police officer can be for the profession.
She said “everyone felt” the loss and that she wanted to let Kushdilian know that he was appreciated.
“I think people often forget ( police) are, well, normal people that are kind,” she said. “I was glad I was able to say thank you again.”
San Jose Sgt. Enrique Garcia, who helped coordinate efforts to track down Talbert, was able to also thank Talbert personally during a video conference call — which included Kushdilian — coordinated by a Denver TV station.
Garcia choked up during the conversation, saying he was caught off- guard by the sudden exchange.
“It was very emotional for me,” Garcia said. “You have someone taking time away from their schedule to say thank you. The first thing, to even acknowledge and honor Mike, by mentioning we lost an asset, as a city, as the San Jose Police Department and law enforcement in general, for her to acknowledge that is very deep and emotional.
“I can speak for the San Jose police family. I would imagine it would also impact his wife and entire family as much.”
Johnson was shot and killed while responding to a call for a possibly despondent man who opened fire on officers from his balcony as they approached him. Johnson’s funeral drew a packed crowd at SAP Center, and police departments from all over the country came to pay their respects.
Despite the frenzy to find her, Talbert said she was glad she left the note.
“If I’m able to be the one person that gets found out and that encourages other people to do more things and to love people more, then that’s fine,” she said with a chuckle “I’m grateful for the opportunity to encourage others.”