The Power of Police Work: Travis Hilliard

The third episode in our series on Police work in the 21st century.  Not the procedures but the people behind the badge.  I continue my discussion with Travis Hilliard, 30 year veteran of law enforcement roles turned security and safety consultant in our hamlet just outside of Madison, WI.  The word Police seems to elicit passionate support or passionate fear and sometimes contempt, but in all cases, we need to remember that we're talking about people.  Travis does a fantastic job of articulating some of the factors that come into play and some of the issues and concerns that citizens and officers should consider as we work together to form in the words of Abraham Lincoln a "more perfect union". 

Travis grew up in Briggsville Wisconsin, a small community in Marquette County. His parents owned the Pheasant Inn restaurant and resort, where along with his brother and sister, they spent most of their time working in every facet of the restaurant and resort business. When not working, he was either water skiing on Lake Mason, wading through Neenah Creek or in the winter months, ice skating or playing hockey on the lake. 

He graduated from Wisconsin Dells High School in1988, and then went on to study Natural Resources and Environmental Law Enforcement at the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point where he graduated in 1993.  While working on his degree he was hired by the DNR in 1990 and worked there until 2014 as a Deputy Conservation Warden. Then shortly after getting his degree In 1994, he was hired by the Sauk Prairie Police Department where he worked until 2021. 

Travis is married, has 2 children and is owner and CEO of Sandhill Safety and Security Consultants. The business focuses on a multitude of safety related topics with people at the forefront.  He also works for Madison College in the Law Enforcement Academy program and is employed by the Cooperative Educational Service Agency. 

Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

Welcome to frame of reference informed intelligent conversations about the issues and challenges facing everyone in today's world, in depth interviews with salt counties, leaders and professionals to help you expand in and form your frame of reference, brought to you by the max FM digital network. Now, here's your host, Rauel LaBreche.

Rauel LaBreche: 0:26

And thanks again for joining us for another episode of frame of reference. So the past two weeks, I had been talking with Travis Hilliard, longtime police officer here and in Sauk Prairie who is now moving on to bigger and better things. I expect nothing but bigger and better from Travis because he's that kind of bigger and better heart every time I see him and talk to him. Anywho, we got done with that conversation. And it's about two weeks later. Now, since all those first couple of episodes were recorded. And as time went by both of us felt, I think that there was just another nut we needed to at least try to crack. It came out of a text of all things, I think a couple days later and said, You know, I've been thinking a lot about the legacy question you asked. And I thought connection. That's what my really want my legacy to be. So Travis, it's your fault that you're here. Again, sorry, man, I understand. I know you have a life, I take full responsibility. But that just got my old dribbles going, the old hamster wheel started turning. And I thought about that whole concept of connection. And then it made me think about what you've always stood for. And I think what you've always represented to me in this community is someone that makes me feel safe. You're someone that you're just your smile, your presence, your awareness, your you know, your involvement with the community have always been to me, kind of the epitome of what a police officer does. They provide a level of safety. So the community can function at its optimum level. Right? Yep. So then I look at the world as it is today. And I think about the the number of family members that are at odds with one another and the number of communities that are at odds with one another for all kinds of reasons whether it's you can't make me wear masks in public. Yes, I can. How can you be an idiot not wear them? Well, how can you be needy? Not really, as your rights are being taken away? I mean, all those arguments, and then you get into the whole issue of you know, well, you're a Biden loving communist, or while you're, you know, Trump loving fascist, we've got so much angry rhetoric going on? How can anybody feel safe. And yet, every one of those constituencies is craving to feel safe. And we talked about that a little bit. We were kind of prepping for this last Congress a while last, but it's this conversation about that whole need for being safe. So the question in all of that, is, first How do you think communities can get back to the place where we have that kind of safety? Because if we don't, I fear that we are moving rapidly towards a place where January 6, or similar kind of event can happen somewhere or, you know, a situation like in Minneapolis, St. Paul can happen, where things are going to get out of control in at a point where police need to get involved, but they won't, because the ramifications and the consequences of getting involved appear. appear. They aren't necessarily but they appear to be worse than most people would, would deal with. Because I think even after January 6, Simoes, Capitol Police officers are saying, You know what that happened today? I just say that, let it happen. I'm not going to get that. What good does that do for me? Right? You know, my friends got their head bashed in and nobody cared. So I'm not gonna lie on my head bashed in for what? Right? Right, talking about a whole bunch of different stuff. But you know what I'm asking you. Does that make sense?

Unknown: 3:48

Yeah, I really do. I think I look at this life as a, as a yardstick. You know, if you're looking at safety as a yardstick and how we perform our duties, no matter if we're in the manufacturing setting, or retail or community service, or nonprofit mergency services. I've done a lot of research on this. And this the fundamentals of safety and security, to me, from an individual aspect with all of our social media apps, whether it's Facebook, Instagram, all these different things. People get up the same way. They go to bed the same way every day, in the first thing they grab is their social media app. They check in on themselves, and their day is going to be regulated on how many thumbs up I've got for the day. And I really do encourage people to find themselves. Yeah, and, you know, this is this is science behind the algorithms of who is Travis Hillard? Well, I know he searches keen footwear. I know he looks at looks at mountain biking and he looks at all this stuff. Guess what I get? I get all these different apps I get all these different advertisings for for footwear. For outdoor wear those types of things, that's by design. Yeah, you know, those are the algorithms and I think people smarter than I am, know what's gonna, what's gonna link up with people. And so you take that back to the fundamental principle of safety is that if people would just kind of settle into who they are, find their identity, just take a break, and be honest with themselves, and just say, who am I. And I think once we find ourselves, whether it's, you know, whether we're, we're looking at doing this or that, and our leaders in our community, whether they're, they're at the fundamental level, or if they're at the national level, or if they're just business leaders with in an area, be okay with being honest with your people, don't worry about what social media is gonna say, Don't worry about what other people are going to be saying about you. The fact is, we need transparency. And we can give all the rhetoric in a world of safety, safety, safety, we got your back, we're going to take care of this. Really? No, no, we just don't have enough people in order to ensure that you're safe. But how can I make you feel safe? And what tools can you obtain in order to change your mindset rewire your brain to say, this makes total sense here? Yeah, I'm what's important. Now, I got this morning, turn the lawn sprinkler on, my flowers are looking good. Excellent. Now what kind of deal, right, and I think people of color, have to feel that way. Because a lot of times having having interracial family myself, is that we have some tough conversations within our family, in order to talk about hate when you branch out, these are the things you're gonna be facing. And we're very candid about that. And what's what's important is that we have the skill set, provide the skill set to my children to say, you will, you'll be fine. But it's perspective, the way you look at things is going to make a difference in how you respond to things.

Rauel LaBreche: 6:51

Well, I see that that perspective issue is what seems to be so lacking in a lot of our conversations and a lot of our our segmentation of our society in that if I'm a Trump believer, or Trump, oh, Trump supporter, I tend to hang with Trump supporters. And that's fine and good if I want to just reaffirm my own bias about what a great decision that is. And, you know, I, I'm not going to get into the debate of whether or not that is a great decision, because that's, I think, an individual's decision to make. But I would challenge everyone, myself included, that whatever my bias may be, I need to figure out ways to challenge that bias regularly. Because otherwise, that bias will control the way that I think and it will, it will force it will prohibit me from seeing things that would be helpful for me to learn from me to to grow through. So I really I struggled with that. Because I think, inherently not challenging those biases is a very unsafe thing to do, both for us collectively as a society and individually as people. And I just don't see the people out there the saying, hey, there's something else out here. Hey, come on. Just think about this for a second. Okay, feel safe enough to challenge your own bias to see something a little different. And maybe, maybe you'll see that you know what, I've met some Muslims that are pretty cool people. Yeah, you know what, I've met some African Americans that are pretty darn cool people. And when they tell me they don't feel safe, I listen to them when they tell me what Black Lives Matter is really about, I have to stop and think because I'm not a black person. I don't know what that world looks like to a black person. So I want to respect them. And I hope they'll respect me enough to say, hey, help me understand more. Okay. Yeah, I may not agree with you. But I helped me understand

Unknown: 8:48

it. And I think that's, that's part of that connection. That's part of connecting with people is, hey, not I have no idea what it is to be an underwater welder. I have no idea what that job entails. But I think it's pretty cool. lameness to me now. Yeah, but you know, and then you can look at, I have no idea what it is to be in dark skin. No idea. I can read all the books, all the literature, I can I can go through implicit, explicit bias training. I don't know cuz I don't still don't walk in your shoes. But I empathize with that. And I think we have lost compassion, empathy and understanding with everyone across the board. Because I think what we have done, and just from my experience in 30 years in law enforcement and working within schools and across the board, is that the more and more people become familiar with who they are and what they do, you know, I'm just thinking about what I doing. But this is normal. I mean, this is familiar to me. We have to step out and into the unfamiliar. We have to take risks, and push ourselves in. I think I always get up in the morning, so I'm going to be better than I was yesterday. And that might be that feeling of unfamiliarity or being familiar with something I like that feeling of like his feels kind of scared. feels kind of weird. But you know, I'm going to try it and see what happens. In case an example is I was approached by some educators and said, Hey, can you teach this? Like, I don't know if I can teach it. But I can learn it. I can learn a curriculum, and I will teach it. Yeah, it's here. And it's making sure that it's the fidelity, this is correct. But I look at that, as in people's lives, is that file open up the same same book, have I read the same chapter day after day after day, I'm pretty limited in my thought process. And if I only go to the same grocery store, or the same store, every day, day after day, I'm pretty limited to my experiences. And we all can say life experiences this than this. But I think today, morsel more importantly, we need to branch out out of our comfort zone and say, You know what? Never done that before. I've never talked to, you know, this person, and just hang out.

Rauel LaBreche: 11:00

What, what if somebody just plain doesn't wanna? I don't wanna? Yeah, I mean, and I see that, like, even in law enforcement, it's like, you know, Sir, I need to, I need to ask you to please lower your voice. You know why you can't, I mean, that that defiance, you've seen that defiance up close? So many times? You don't even probably think about it. But is there a way to kind of turn that defiance around and get people? You know, the Verbal Judo thing that says, Yeah, you know, in you all of a sudden, like, oh, wait a minute, Allison, he's complaining, he doesn't even realize he's complaining. Right. Right. Right. So

Unknown: 11:36

I did go back to it. Everyone has a story. You know, everyone has a story, no matter if they're being visual bludgeoned, or if you just worked at domestic, their stuff going on, that we we do not see. It's like that we only see the tip of the iceberg. We don't see what's going on the the 20 years of family history underneath the water or, or even, you know, just momentarily what's going on, we see a ripple on the water, we can't see shows it's it's we can't see an underwater, right. And and I think again, it comes back to that that connection. Some people you will connect with some people, you just need some time. But the fact is, is if you're understanding, compassionate, you've got that empathy. And you try to connect to him just by listening in, and I think you can listen, but you have to be present. I think people there's a difference between I'm listening to your role, but I'm not really here. I'm kind of, you know, my gazes around and we're not paying attention. But I think that's the thing

Rauel LaBreche: 12:33

when you were saying before we started recording again, how to you a fundamental difference in real leadership? Yes, a real a true leader is able to stay present completely present in the situation at hand. So when there's a discussion about policy or discussion, revealing an issue that needs to be resolved, that a true leader figures out how to focus and remain present in the discussion to way in a way that allows them to operate on it effectively rather than, you know, inconsequential a while just go make those people eat cake, and they'll be fine. Yeah.

Unknown: 13:08

So and I think, you know, I, what am I'm thinking of here is to two incidences, one early spring, I was teaching life skills, curriculum, I believe I was teaching self esteem, and are showing a motivational video to third grade class. And as I was going through this motion motivational video, it's talking about life is tough and how we can become more resilient in and but by skillset, by our the way we think the way we process the weight, the things we do to keep ourselves healthy. And I had this little third grade boy come, I was sitting in the bathroom and saw a third grade boy came up to me and he sat down next to me on a stool. He took my hand he goes, he was Travis I have a really hard life. And I said, Hey, buddy, I know, I know, you have a really hard life. And I said, that's why I'm showing this video. And I've worked with his family for years and years. In we got through this video and he looks at me goes, it's not so bad, is it? I said no. Life isn't so bad. And I'm working part time for a law enforcement agency.

Rauel LaBreche: 14:10

Let's think about this is an eight year old, right? Or maybe a nine year old. Okay? Yes. And I want everyone who's listening to this, just just stay, take a moment breathe. And think about a little eight year old guy coming in sitting next to you, and putting his hand on your hand and saying your name and saying I got a tough light. Okay, I just want you to melt. I want that to melt people's hearts a little bit as they listen to the I'm sorry, it was it was amazing.

Unknown: 14:35

And I share that story of how important it is to make connections being present and really being present not just there for a job

Rauel LaBreche: 14:42

when you didn't say no, it's not that top. No, I know it is but he's got a tough line. I know it is. But yeah, and you let him find the way out of it, which is I think part of our our issues we always want to say well the answer to this is like you have no idea what the answer is until you listen and really They try to figure out where they're really at him fine. Let them find the answer that's going to where the answer is gonna stick. It's

Unknown: 15:06

their journey, right? It's everyone's journey like the ally.

Rauel LaBreche: 15:10

There's an ally process going on with poverty circles ministry going on. I think that's that's you become an ally, not a fixer for a person that is, you know, suffering from poverty. Right, exactly what kind of principle? Yeah, so

Unknown: 15:25

Okay, so in the other, I was working more part time law enforcement up north yet. And I was up north working over fourth July weekend and responded to an incident where a 35 year old individual put both arms through a plate glass window, it was on an upper storey flat roof. And so we responded over there. And keep in mind when there's not a lot of resources up north. Yeah, you know, down here, it might have been a three, four officer sponsors only two of us. And so we responded up there and you find yourself you really have to that connection is so important, because you have no backup, you're just there dealing with this. And this guy was was bloody from head to toe, sure, intoxicated, and we got talking with them and stuff. And I'm not kidding, after about 30 minutes of conversation, we're able to get him down the ambulance and the ambulance ride from location is about 40 minutes, a road game, let's run the Amazon with him for 40 minutes. This is July 3. And those are riding in the ambulance, he was strapped down, you know immobilized because he was a fighter, he's kicking her head butting everything else. And as we're driving in, we're kind of joking around making some trying to connect with this guy. And at one time, he reached over, sit right next to him. He goes, Can I hold your hand as well, of course, you can hold my hand. And, and he liked to

Rauel LaBreche: 16:48

hold your hand.

Unknown: 16:50

He looked at me, he goes, I've had a really tough life. And, and I said, you know, this is the first time I've met you. But I'd be interested to hear about your life. And he started proceeding to tell me that, you know, Mom and Dad were very successful. And Mom has passed away, Dad has passed away. And he's just out there floundering and struggling. But it brought me back to that third grade moment of like, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what is going on, right? The fact is, is that people deserve a connection. People deserve time. Yeah. And no judgment. You know, this, this this thing is, and it takes people that way. And I'm not saying I'm special or anything. I'm just saying that's a technique I use. That's that's truly makes my life better. Right. In a sense.

Rauel LaBreche: 17:37

Well, and you know, it's interesting, because to me, we can talk about that being a technique that you use, but I think it's also a life decision that you emitted a choice. Yeah, you are choosing to be invested in every moment. And whatever that moment may may bring you you're choosing to make the most of it. And that that takes a lot of discipline that takes I think a lot of just commitment, which is part of what honestly, concerns me scares me about the way things are moving. And if we don't somehow, community, by community, individual by individual take control of this beast that's being created around us. We're in, we're in for some serious doo da Yeah. Because if we don't start figuring out a way to reach across, because I can't imagine that there were nothing but light years of difference between you and this guy in terms of life's decisions. Life's, you know, opportunities, all that stuff. You know, was he a Trump supporter? Were you a Biden's for you know, all of that stuff? Was he a mask? Or were you all of that stuff melts away? And you became very good friends? From

Unknown: 18:46

those my interaction with this individual? 30 minutes of fighting with them? Yeah, until we kind of calmed down window of tolerance rate back to regulation zone and took a breath. Right. And you know what, this? It's, it's amazing. What people's stories are, yeah. But if we, it's a choice, you know, it's, it's, it's something we need to learn in practice. And if, if we don't want to learn and practice it, it goes back to like, I don't, I'm not gonna listen to you. Right? That doesn't offend me. That that's on you. That's your journey. You that's, hopefully,

Rauel LaBreche: 19:21

hopefully you're happy, but I'm here to help. I'm hearing you when you choose to. I'm hearing different Exactly. So that there's an individual thing that each of us can do. Now I take it to like the officer joven kind of situation or in the things you've dealt with yourself as a police officer that when you have that I don't wanna mentality seep into a police officers life. And a police officer can avail themselves of opportunities to kind of do a gut check, do a mind check and say I'm getting into some dangerous territory here with how I'm treating the people that I serve. but it's harder, I think measurably harder for police officers to be held to a standard of No, you need to get help now. Because we don't even want to admit that that's okay for a police officer to be vulnerable enough to say, I need to get help now. Yeah, right. I mean, there's such a, I

Unknown: 20:22

know, there's a balance, and I think there is this underlying current, you know, and if you're not going to, you know, realistically, you're not going to get any professional. So we plea EAP services, we're gonna plug them in, we're gonna do, man, I'll tell you just like no different than we come to work, we're doing whatever we do, there are certain things that you just don't want anyone to know about. Because it's going to be, I can't deal with that. I, you know, I don't because then it creates this, this more stuff of my jobs on the line now, and there are people gonna think and you're this and that, and

Rauel LaBreche: 21:00

so we're disconnecting when we do that we disconnect.

Unknown: 21:03

Right? act very disconnected. And in ultimately, it hurts the individual, the organization and the family and their life. You know? And

Rauel LaBreche: 21:16

so again, how do you make it safe?

Unknown: 21:18

You you, you create this conversation? And and we don't know it safe until we put it in practice. It's just, it's just like that. Once you do it, okay. That was fine. It's like walking on ice. Okay, checked it rat five inches, I should hold me. I'm gonna take one step out. That is Sam, I'm gonna take off the next thing, you know, you're 100 yards out ice fishing, right? Like it is safe. And I think in our minds, we're so we want to be dialed in to say, what is it? Where do I stand? Am I okay, here? And, and that takes time? And that that takes leadership to make you feel that way. rewire the brain to understand, you know what? Yeah, I've I've tested this is quite a bit. I'm safe here. And communication.

Rauel LaBreche: 22:10

So would it be? Is there something that community members because you know, we we do depend on our police forces, to keep us safe in situations where I don't carry a gun. I don't I know, some people that do carry guns, I'd have concealed carry and whatnot. But if something comes to a case where you need to protect yourself in that way, I'm not the guy. I can maybe protect by talking somebody down and getting to know their story. But so I say all that with purpose. Is there a way for community members like myself, or people that are just inclined to do so to approach a police officer and say, Hey, how are you doing today? If we don't know, I mean, it's not going to be categorically responded to is with this guy. What's he doing here? And the suspicion factor? Or is there a way to bridge the gap and say, No, hey, I really I get how tough it is to be a police officer, today's world, I just, I just want you to know, I really appreciate what you're doing. And, you know, I thank you for your service. I mean, how do you build that relationship? Because you and I were

Unknown: 23:10

able to get that, you know, it is just that it's just like hey, how you doing today and appreciate your service, you know, very indicative give the cops a break. Yeah. You know, and, and they're, they're working through some things, but also the cops have to identify themselves to, to say, Am I okay? You know, kind of deal internally, they get to internalize that and figure that out. And that's their own journey. But I think from a public standpoint is like, Hey, give him a break, cut him some slack. And just, they're human beings.

Rauel LaBreche: 23:42

Can the political leaders like our town? I mean, we have a small scale microcosm of the macrocosm. But can our political leaders, you know, as a room for village boards that are more engaged in the health of their police officers? Are they are they fundamentally responsible for setting that environment in which there are good checks and balances and a good safety support system built in there? They're a board they

Unknown: 24:06

ask questions and stuff, but ultimately, it's it's it comes from the the Police Commission and the chief and down as it trickles down, okay. You know, that's the leadership umbrella, okay. When it comes to any police agency, the police and fire commission, whether they're managing fire and all that kind of stuff, but it comes down to, you know, having conversation, having conversation and accepting you know, in deficiencies on people and understanding saying, hey, you know, we got a tough role here, we're gonna do it and, you know, and, and people across the board people are people and no matter if they're in the private sector or corporate sector, the fact is, is hey, you know, what, just really be concerned, how are we doing? Without saying worthy asking that for him, right? Where is this going to go? I think, in society that that's going to that's got to work its way out. Because we still are going to go back to what's familiar what's safe, you know, what should we do with these people? And what's the public gonna think? Right? Because it's always like, what's the public gonna think what's gonna happen on social media versus, hey, what's best for the individual? Right? kind of deal? And, and I think across the board, when people at the leadership level no matter what, what, whatever you're leading, whether it's your coach or leading a little league team, the fact is, is the connection and what can do the best for these people? kind of deal. And, you know, I was I was listening to a podcast the other day, and I, this really resonated with me too. And what it

Rauel LaBreche: 25:40

wasn't this one, it wasn't this one. I'm sorry. It wasn't, there's other podcasts out there. But I thought this was the old one. I'm like, I don't know if this is gonna be as good as this one. So I'm like, wow, I don't know. But it was a good. So

Unknown: 25:54

I was talking about this high national leader, went to this conference, and they met him at the front door, rolled out the red carpet form brought him you know, dump him off in the front of the limousine. And, you know, they it came down to a cup of coffee in and they served him a cup of coffee, Enos, this really nice mug and, you know, whatever you need to do and catered to him. And it was interesting, because the following year, he went back and did the same conference, but he wasn't in the same position. And he he meanders and I'm, you know, paraphrasing meanders his way back into the lobby and says, Hey, we're going to get a cup of coffee. The person says, it's over the coffee machine described go help yourself. And so he grabs his cup of coffee and he's drinking a cup of coffee out of Styrofoam cup. Keep in mind a year before him and they told it on him this cup of coffee was great a ceramic mug readies do you find themselves same person, same person, right? Drinking a cup of coffee, a lot of us have a Styrofoam cup. And the beautiful message there is that the ceramic mug wasn't for the person was for the position he held. And, you know, the humbling experiences. Nobody's better than a Styrofoam cup of coffee,

Rauel LaBreche: 27:11

you know, and, or a coconut filler

Unknown: 27:14

over coffee, but we tote to the position versus you're just an individual human being. We're gonna drink coffee out of sorrow from cups and be okay with us. Yeah, you know, and that, to me is a fundamental of respect to a person, I'm not going to treat you any different because you're a status symbol, or you got a title or, or whatever your elected official for we're gonna have a cup of coffee together, we're going to drink out of the same cups, whatever is hanging on the wall. Right. You know, and I think that comes down to that that connection. Is that it's it's really interesting, but, you know, I have found that in this position to become the, I'm not a lieutenant. And I found how many people wanted to converse with me because of my title, not because of who I was. Right. And that is very beneficial to me. Because that just solidifies what what the research I've done. And sorry, it's prepared for that. Sure. And I find it comical, but that doesn't change my thought of them. Right. You know, right. So it comes full circle back to how can leaders do a better job? Is being able to have conversation, have that connection with people?

Rauel LaBreche: 28:29

Right, right. And not looking at the position? Look at the person, which is why there's a fundamental human flaw if ever, there was one, right? Yes, you know, I want to associate with you because he's Lieutenant I know, I want to associate with him, because he's a really good person. Right? You know, and I found that being a really good person is not a function of your status. It's a function of who you are inside and who you aspire to be as you grow. Yeah, as you go along. Right.

Unknown: 28:58

And so in those leaders that like I said, that leader might be a fundamentally, you know, a status or a title thing. Or it might be that that single police officer, you know, talking to a group of kids at at the scouting event, yeah, you know, they look at that, that single loan officer as a leader, right, you know, being connected. Sure. You know, sometimes you think those leaders as titles and stuff like this, but when you strip that title away from people, how do you treat them that

Rauel LaBreche: 29:27

right? Yeah, right. Well, the conversation just keeps going doesn't does. I have to thank you again, my friend for just stopping in at you. All you did was come in to get a picture taken and you ended up with this. Yeah, no. But we'll talk again, not because you're a lieutenant not because you're anything other than Travis and Scooby Doo. We have a you'll have to ask us about that on email or something, folks, because we have a big Scooby thing going on. So, but thanks so much, Travis, or you're very welcome best wishes to his This new embarkation recur I know you're, you're tracking down COVID interact Yes

Unknown: 30:04

COVID tracing so and that's been it's been interesting and making good connections with people and having good conversations with people because there's, you know, when you're when you're calling parents about their children, right it's it's they need time. Yeah. Yeah.

Rauel LaBreche: 30:18

Any words of wisdom for the community that we should just throw out there for Sauk County and beyond and things to be careful out there when it blue is right

Unknown: 30:27

hey, yeah, blog, be careful out there and just stay positive. You don't really stay positive and, and just if someone's getting you down, just go back to the present moment. Be, you know, grateful for something. Gratitude is huge. Yeah. And we need to be more grateful for what we have.

Rauel LaBreche: 30:42

Amen. Thanks, Travis. We'll be right back here on 997 Max FM and frame of reference.

Unknown: 30:49

It was a Sunday in farmer Jones's back 40. A Sunday with limited field time to be specific when the emergency after hours parts line and Macfarlanes rang with a call the problem of broken piece of farm machinery the solution simple to the parts experts at Macfarlanes. They dropped what they were doing and got the part Farmer Jones needed on a Sunday. Here are the facts. people that care about your field deadlines are available at the emergency parts line on Sundays and after hours at 608-643-3321. There's never been a better time to support small businesses and save big with Max FM big deals discount certificates from the max FM Big Deal store will save you up to 50% off retail every day of the week. local restaurants and wineries healthy living and spa services gifts for the holidays and a whole lot more new deals are added weekly. Check it out now at max FM big deals.com. That's Max FM big deals.com Start shopping and start saving.

Rauel LaBreche: 31:52

When I was a kid, not only did I watch a lot of cop shows on TV, but one of our favorite things to play outside was cops and robbers. Maybe because we had a captain of the Milwaukee Vice Squad across the street or maybe because we all enjoyed playing our part in catching bad guys. Strange thing is back then it seemed easier to tell who the bad guys were nowadays? I'm not so sure. Because as much as we count on police keeping us safe. There are significant numbers of people that think what we really need is protection from the police. How did we get here? How do we get back to where the bad folks are more clearly defined and recognized? I'm not certain. But in talking with Travis over the past few weeks, I think it has something to do with the Spider Man pledge. You know, with great power comes great responsibility. Police do have significant power to protect law abiding citizens and to enforce the laws governing them. But from my vantage point, we all need to adapt a frame of reference that helps us to take responsibility for the human being behind the badge, a person that's trying to keep things together but may be falling apart inside. From all the stress of dealing with the worst of us too much of the time. We need to make time for everyone's story to be told everyone's side to be seen everyone's version to be verified. Don't forget if you have suggestions or questions visit us at www for soc.com Stay well