014: STEPHANIE JONES | Inside the Life of a Police Wife

May 7, 20222 min read

This week marks National Police Week in 2022. It is a time each year that offers honor, remembrance, and peer support, while allowing law enforcement, survivors, and citizens to gather and pay homage to those who gave their lives in the line of duty. The events throughout this week attract thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to our Nation's Capital each year. Our guest this week is in honor of all police officers who stand watch on our behalf.

Stephanie Jones is an author, speaker, and coach. She has also been married to a police officer for nineteen years. She and I had a conversation about what we typically don’t see, and don’t think about, inside the marriages of our officers. She shares a sobering reality that she has lived with every single day for nearly two decades. Below is a short excerpt from a piece she once posted on Facebook:

“Every day when my officer leaves, I send him on his way with hugs, kisses, and I love you’s. Some days I stand in the window watching him pull out of the driveway, searing the memory in my mind, just in case he doesn’t return. That’s the reality and biggest fear of every police wife. It’s a fear we bury but keep with us until we hear the garage door open and the sound of Velcro ripping off.”

God bless our police officers, their spouses, and children.

Show highlights:

How she got started in law enforcement
The mindset of being a police wife
What it was like to lose a brother from the Police Academy in the line of duty
The difficult decisions of being in a police family
The importance of understanding your spouse’s daily life
The dangers and difficulties of living with negative stereotypes of police officers
The compounded traumas of being a police officer
Tools to endure through a pressure packed lifestyle