Ask A Cop
Ask A Cop is live and unscripted. Each episode gives other officers and the community a window into a police officer's world and provides authentic community engagement with law enforcement professionals.Listeners can relate by asking questions, hearing some of their own struggles, and finding solutions. Despite preconceived notions, these men and women, who serve and protect, are approachable and eager to answer questions. This resource provides meaningful engagement for officers, their families, and the community. As chaplains, we have witnessed the immeasurable rewards of simply sitting down and having these positive conversations. Produced in partnership with Gods Way Radio.
Ask A Cop
030: Ever wondered what it's like to balance faith, family, and the demands of law enforcement? r - Constant Rosemand (Sergeant Miami Police Department)
Ever wondered what it's like to balance faith, family, and the demands of law enforcement? Meet Officer Roseman, whose journey began in Brooklyn, New York, as a preacher's kid and led him through a remarkable 30-year career across multiple police departments. Roseman opens up about his ups and downs, his return to faith, and how his spiritual journey dovetailed with his police work starting at the tender age of 19. You’ll hear us discuss how his upbringing in a devoted family and his mom’s weekly radio ministry instilled values that have guided him through each chapter of his life and work.
Join us for an engaging conversation with Officer Sarge, who brings a rich multicultural perspective shaped by his Cuban and Haitian heritage. Learn how moving to Miami in the 80s and becoming one of the few black, Christian officers was both a challenge and a calling. Sarge offers a raw, candid account of his career—breaking barriers, navigating societal expectations, and holding onto his faith. His story provides a unique lens on the intersections of race, faith, and policing, making for a compelling and enlightening discussion.
Dive deeper into the sacrifices and emotional toll that law enforcement takes on officers and their families. Hear from Sergeant Roseman about the critical role of community support, the hidden struggles behind the badge, and the heartfelt listener message that underscores the power of comfort and compassion. We touch on everything from officer-involved shootings to the reality of transitioning out of law enforcement, offering a profound look at the human side of policing. This episode is a powerful reminder of the courage, dedication, and need for understanding that defines the lives of those who serve and protect.
you're listening to ask a cop podcast, a time where communities and cops connect. These conversations are recorded live, so stay tuned after the podcast so you can learn where to submit your own questions and to learn how you can support us. For now, though, get ready to ask a cop I think I know some of our guests.
Speaker 2:I think, oh, oh, man, I know we're going to talk about it. I know the story, but you're always learning new things. So Roseman City of Miami is not your first department. You've had wonderful opportunities in other places as well. Tell us about that, I did?
Speaker 3:I started off with the City of Opelika in 1991. And then from there I moved on to another department which was called Dade County School Board, and from Dade County School Board I had the opportunity to advance and go with a great department which is the city of Miami Police.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome. So we have school board represented, we have Opelika represented, city of Miami represented and there's a special one. We're going to come back to that one. I'm really excited you could tell about a part of your career. Sounds very exciting, very fun, very unique. But before that and I mentioned this to you, your brother in the Lord we want to know how you got to know the Lord, how Jesus got a hold of your life.
Speaker 3:Amen, amen. Well, I'm going to tell you that I was born and raised in Brooklyn, new York, and I came to know the Lord, well, not by choice, but I was raised in an era where our parents said we're going to church, and that's just where we ended up, and we didn't have an option at that time to say no, I wanted to do this or that or the other. So that's how it all got started. As you know, of kids that we call the preacher's kids, we don't have an option. But then, when we get a little older, we uh feel that, you know, we just want to see what's out there and sometimes, uh, we may do things that, um, folks are not as forgiving, uh, of us. But then you start to realize that what was embedded in you, what that seed that was planted in you, is where you need to go back to. And it's a beautiful thing for me, because I was able to see both sides of the story or my story.
Speaker 2:So you said preacher's kid, your family was in ministry or pastoring, yes, or what's your family?
Speaker 3:My family was in ministry. They were pastoring at one point and another. There you go, and my mother was the one that you know, an amazing woman. She still is here with us. Hello, mom, she's 94 years old.
Speaker 5:Wow.
Speaker 3:And we're going to make sure that she hears my voice today. Amen. But what I wanted to say is that she was very much a preacher, she served, and also she had a radio station. I'm sorry, she had a radio program Amazing.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:So she would take us out and we'd have to be in the waiting room while she did her services every week right, you know. So we were the lobby kids, the one making noise do you remember the name of the? Program. No, I don't. I just remember that it was off of flagler street and about 18th avenue. That was one of the stations that she was on Wait a second. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're freaking me out. Yeah, I'm telling you. Do you remember that? Was it WHIM?
Speaker 3:I don't remember what the signal was, but I could tell you that right across the street there was an Army Navy store on about 18th Avenue. Maybe it was a different one 18th 19th Avenue.
Speaker 2:So that would have been incredible, right, but I got my start with Pastor Raz in a building across from the Miami Auditorium. Oh, okay, so this is not the same building.
Speaker 3:No, this is not the same, but that one there we would go to visit because it was right across the street from the Miami. I know the auditorium.
Speaker 1:Miami-Dade.
Speaker 3:Auditorium and the other location was in Coral Gables on 37th Avenue by a Burger King. I remember that because every time we would go by there that would be lunch or from there. So my mother was very involved and she never left us nowhere. We had to be right there with her. So the word was they planted that seed and when I was old enough to know better I came back to the Lord and I'm just so glad that he's been so good and so gracious.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. I mean again, just thinking of the story so far, you know, I wonder if there's parents listening. And there's even more to this. It was on your heart to speak, to parenting, to family, to when everything is not just rose-colored, you know, hey, roseman, that's right, you got it, you got it.
Speaker 2:But seriously, or to make the point man, your kids may stray, but just keep praying. What you said if I heard you correctly Sarge, you said I knew where to come back to. Exactly I knew where to come back to so important. So you're growing in the Lord Around. What age was it when you really got back to the Lord, got serious with the Lord, do you?
Speaker 3:remember? Yes, of course I remember, because I was 20 years old, I'm sorry, 19 years old when I started in the police.
Speaker 2:And that's around the same time. Yes, around the same time. Oh, awesome, awesome. So 19, 20 years old, starting in the police? We won't ask your age now, but I'm going to do a little trick. So 19, 20 years old, you started. How long have you been with the police?
Speaker 3:Well, I've been with the police for a couple of like they say, a couple of mango seasons. You know Well. But I've been in police work over 30 years now and God has been very good to me because he's always made me feel that I have a special angel that has always been dispatched for me.
Speaker 2:He has.
Speaker 3:Roseman on his chest.
Speaker 2:Amen and there's a truth to that.
Speaker 2:The scripture talks about ministering angels, how God sends them forth, and you know you want to look at the Bible, you want to study the Bible about that. But it's true, there's truth to that and there is the spiritual realm that God works in for our benefit. He wants to bless us and guide us and lead us and protect us. I do believe, and let me ask you something. This is kind of jumping to the end of the story. Don't worry, we're going to stay on track, but I do have to ask you something, because anybody listening that knows anything about law enforcement. Really, any career 30 plus years, 30 plus years how are you?
Speaker 3:still doing this by the grace of God. By the grace of God, by the grace of God because on different points in my career, I chose or I thought I was choosing to, you know, leave it. It was enough. It was enough and it was time to move on. But that's just not the way God's plan for me was. So I decided to just go ahead on and not try to do it, or have my will be done but his will be done, and it's always turned out to be perfect the way he has it, his plans, and again we're going to get into some specifics.
Speaker 2:But again to give the story the clarity, god has walked you through some tough moments in your career. Yes, he has. God has walked with you. God has walked you through that, so so, even in the tough moments, you're able to continue. Uh, so awesome, so awesome, uh, to know looking at my notes here. Uh, again, you know, I love it, I love trying to plan ahead, because then I can say, hey, your words, not mine. This is what you told me, sarge. You said my family is not very police-y.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:I was not a likely candidate. Tell us more about that.
Speaker 3:Well, my family is not police-y and the reason why I said that is that we weren't always the good boys on the block. Coming from Brooklyn, new York, we had a lot of different characters, different attitudes and we saw things a lot differently. Because in New York at the time, it's a beautiful place to be. It's a beautiful era, was it's a beautiful place to be? It's a beautiful era. However, sometimes, just coming up and being young men, sometimes you go through some rebellious. You know just modes of life.
Speaker 3:So police work wasn't something that I had really looked at and, coming from a Latin background, they always told me we want you to go to school and we want you to do something else with your life. We want you. When I started talking about this police thing, they started saying there's other things that you can do. And it wasn't something in my family that they wanted the direction that they wanted me to go, whether it was because of the reputation at the time or for the era that I was coming up in the 70s, or it was because they just wanted us to do a little or what they considered to be a little better. Yeah, yeah, us to do a little or what they consider to be a little better, yeah yeah, you mentioned that and let me pause here.
Speaker 2:If anyone just tuned in, it's about 3.41 in our live recording of Ask a Cop and that means that you can call, you can text. If you're listening to the live recording on December the 5th, that means you're a part of the program and you can play a greater part by calling or texting with any question, any comment you may have. Again, it doesn't have to be monumental, you don't have to break any records. It might just be a word of encouragement hey, thank you for what you do, praying for you. Maybe you say, hey, I'm from New York too, bronx, brooklyn, shout out, you know, whatever, maybe whatever street, 31st Street, I don't know, I don't know. You know, I know some streets hold special significance. You might want to ask a question hey, 30 plus years in law enforcement. Or you mentioned Opa Locker. You mentioned this. I have a question. The phone lines are open. Call or text 786-313-3115. If you're listening on the podcast, we'll take your call, we'll take your text and we would love to still try to get you those answers or meet whatever need it is. We're always available.
Speaker 2:Sarge, you mentioned something else and again, that's why I love live radio, that's why I love these conversations. That's why I love these programs, because we get to talk about real issues, and you mentioned that something that comes to your mind is not just a Christian with a badge, but a black man with a badge and how. There's different aspects to your life, different aspects to what you've been through. First of all, before you answer that question or as part of answering that question, what's your background? Because somebody could just look at the outside tall black guy with a badge but there's more to it. What's your background?
Speaker 3:There is my mother's, from Cuba and my father is Haitian. I'm a black male, as you know, or as we're talking about now, from Brooklyn, new York, where I was born and raised, and I was brought down here to Miami because they wanted to just do something a little different, give us a little different exposure to what we had in Brooklyn, and my parents just wanted to have a change of life. Brooklyn was going a little too high speed for them and when we came here to Miami at the time in the 80s, miami was a little slower. Now Miami is, I think, faster than New York, but at the time Is your mom down here with you? My mom down here with me, and my dad was too. My dad is passed on, but he's living in in glory right now. But we had a wonderful opportunity. But when we got down here, I remember that I said, wow, this place is so country and uh man we just what area?
Speaker 3:what area did? We were in an area of north miami that was called the west view and in the west view area, uh, we had to walk a couple of blocks to get to a store, a convenience store, and that convenience store was called Utotem. I remember the name because I would call back to New York and tell my friends man, we had to walk like four blocks to get to a place called Utotem, and these are the longest blocks ever because the sun was so hot here. You know New York, you have to change the season and here was just so hot and it wasn't common seeing people walking around the streets, like New York was In every corner. We used to have a bodega or we used to have a little place, a little convenience store, where here it wasn't. So it was a different experience a bit Wow.
Speaker 2:And again, if you want to just talk more about that, now we're getting into your career. Maybe it was one year into your career, 20 years into your career, as much as you're comfortable talking about. Again, you're a police officer, but you have your own story, your own perspective. Again, a Christian man, a godly man. You mentioned it. Don't know how much you want to talk about it or what aspect you want to talk about it Black man with a badge, Christian man with a badge. Just sharing your story, your experiences with people that you would like to share.
Speaker 3:Well, first I want to let everybody know that you know there's things in life that happen and we have to analyze them on our own and come up with our own opinion. As, being a black man and an African American, I didn't want to. I just want to let you all know that, yes, the struggle is real because, even being a police officer, I've had to struggle with a lot of unfair treatment from my profession as a police officer. It didn't make me or break me. Sometimes it made me sad that I had to go through it.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But at the end of the day, I understood that everything happens for a reason. At the end of the day, I understood that everything happens for a reason and I am so glad and so fortunate that I had the opportunity to be able to wear the badge and be able to get that feeling. So when I hear of complaints about how folks are treated, I could understand and I can tell you that we can't judge everybody because of your experience with one or two persons. It doesn't matter whether you're black or you're green or you're white or you're Cuban or you're Nicaraguan. It's just that situation.
Speaker 3:So that's the way I got through it, because I had to understand that, no, it wasn't that, um, I may have had a negative experience with a police officer. I tried to look at it. Is that I had a negative experience with the human being. And then, um, and being that this is a human being, being that I understand that God forgives us and that everyone makes a mistake, it made it easier for me to be able to heal, just saying how, lord, praying Lord, how can I overcome this situation and how can you help me to soothe me from my hurts and my pains?
Speaker 3:And I understand that there's some folks that say, yeah, but it's more than one experience. All police encounters that a person may have had has been negative. I still tell them not to give up and there is some good. And, just as I tell my subordinates, I let them know and I say, hey, listen, there's 99% of the people that are out there for us, for the police, and want to work with us and are law-abiding citizens, and there's just 1% that just needs a little bit of encouragement. I like to call it, or to understand that we're here to make things safer for them and their kids Education.
Speaker 2:And to educate them, giving people that education, that clarity, exactly. You mentioned something. Oh, man, it just slipped my mind. Lord, help me remember. Well, maybe it's a good time to give the phone number again. If you're listening, if you're texting, you know, this always happens, sarge people. I'll ask them after hey, were you listening? Yeah, I didn't want to interrupt. No, you're not interrupting. You're part of the program. You make it exciting when you call, when you text, when you ask questions, when you share things. It makes it that much more exciting. So again, the phone number is 786-313-3157, 866-313-315.
Speaker 2:I remember what I was going to ask about. Uh, if somebody tells me, if somebody would tell me, man, every interaction I've had with a police officer has been negative I would respect, depending how good I know them. I would say, maybe you're the problem now again being very serious. I'm not saying you're a criminal. I'm not saying you're, uh, this, that or the other. I'm just saying maybe you have a bad attitude, maybe you have a chip on your shoulder. We, we gotta evaluate ourselves as well. Any comment on that? We have somebody on the line, but I would like to allow you to comment first.
Speaker 3:Well, that is, uh, that's great. I uh, we'll take the call, okay, but, um, we know that we have, yes, it can be a chip on the shoulder, but it can be on both sides, because sometimes it may the bad, the badge may also, uh, influence the person to feel that they have a grandiose, uh type of character or or, and you know what? One thing I want to tell you about officers before we take this call, yeah, is that we laugh, we cry, we bleed and sometimes we get sad. So, as long as you can understand, that is just a uniform that we're wearing and just a badge that we're wearing, and that we have to wear it with pride and we have to do the right thing, and not always does that happen in that sequence, but we are hopeful that things will get better and the relationship can grow, amen.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Where are you calling us from today?
Speaker 4:Leaving downtown.
Speaker 2:Hey, we know this voice leaving downtown. You spent some time. What were you doing in downtown? Having some coffee.
Speaker 4:Well, I got to see Sergeant Roseman during lunch. Wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2:What you had lunch with Sergeant Roseman.
Speaker 4:Oh man, I missed out During lunch, see him during lunch, okay, okay, okay, and leaving a training that's being offered there in the city and wanting to be there with you all, um. But I just wanted to say one thing, or uh, at least this just man, how much I appreciate in the morning, uh, you know, our previous uh ask a cop, and then now again, just there is such a uh, it's a gem, it's a jewel, it's a prize, it's uh amazing when you get to know the human being, the person on and off the uniform and and you're you, um, you know, on duty, off duty, in florida and arizona, wherever you are, uh, man, so it's been, uh, I'm continuing to enjoy getting to know sergeant constant roseman more and more and I don't want to take up time there's so well, I'm gonna keep you on the line.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna keep you on the line, for I'm gonna keep you on the line for one moment. So so you shouldn't have called if you didn't want to. No, I'm just kidding. This is guys. Guys, if you're listening, this is adrian. He's our producer. I would not. I'm messing with him too much. You got to be careful on live radio, sergeant roseman. Maybe you learned this from your mom, from from your early days, but you got to be careful because you never know who's listening. That's right. So somebody's listening going. Man, this guy's joking around. I'm nervous now I'm not gonna call. I'm not gonna do that with you family. Okay, this is adrian. I'm gonna behave, okay, 786-313-3115. But, adrian, I'm going to put you on the spot. If you were here part of the interview what would you want to ask Sergeant Roseman, or what story would you want him to share? What point would you ask him to speak on or elaborate on?
Speaker 4:Oh man, you know, I don't know if we're going to have time, but Sergeant Roseman is our new chaplain liaison.
Speaker 2:Oh you beat us to it. That's on our notes.
Speaker 4:Awesome. So I'll let it get there. And just because you know just what's on his heart, you know what's on his mind, what are some things that you know, whether it's within the agency he's part of or in chaplaincy in general, just things he's seen and learned and just wants to see better our officers. Because that's the reason we share these stories, the reason we put the effort, the time, the money for the community to see. This is constant. He's officer sergeant, constant Roseman, but he's constant.
Speaker 4:And for the officers to know, know, man, I've gone through some things like that. He's okay. What's going on? How did he get there? What? What's been available to him? What can we do better? How can we be there for each other? That, at the end of the day, law enforcement career does not have to come with the sacrifice of a relationship with god and a relationship with your family as the cost to do a great work of justice, which I believe is put there by Romans 13,. All authority is given by God, amen. Thank you, I'm going to hang up and listen. I appreciate you guys so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Thank you Well said and I love it. The Holy Spirit putting it together. What he would have asked you, we already planned to talk about. What he would have asked you we already plan to talk about. So that's confirmation. So that's awesome. Guys, you can be part of the work of God today on this program. This is Ask a Cop live, recorded live in the studio, December the 5th. If you're going wait, my watch says December the 5th. That means you're participating live. That means you can call, you can text 786-313-3115 I don't even know how many people have their watches anymore your phone your, your smart car, whatever it is.
Speaker 2:if you are listening live, you can participate. 786-313-3115, if you're listening to the podcast, keep listening, keep sharing. This is good stuff. You know it's funny. I keep calling you sergeant roseman, I I just it's what I'm used to. You. Sergeant Roseman is my supervisor, in a sense, and a volunteer position I hold, so I'm going to stick with Sergeant Roseman.
Speaker 2:But, yes, constance, a human being, a dad, a son, a human being, man, just great, great what was said, both you and Adrian commenting on similar things. But, sarge, you have some things in front of you. We wanted to get to some of the memories, some of the experience in your career, so I don't know where you want to go next. You've been involved in I want to use the proper term officer-involved shooting and again, we're not looking for the story the gore. Hopefully, you know our heart and the listeners know our heart. That's not what we do here. But again, we're not looking for the story the gore, you know. Hopefully you know our heart and the listeners know our heart. That's not what we do here. But again, the things that officers go through the moment, instant decision making, the after effects, just hearing about the life of an officer. That's something we wanted to talk about and, like I said, we have that. You have some things you brought to share, so wherever you want to go next, said we have that you have some things you brought to share.
Speaker 3:So, wherever you want to go next, well, I just want to let uh our listeners know that it's important for you to call in and to take advantage of the moment, uh, that you have through this radio station. I, too, was on the radio some years ago and at the time I was in a program that we didn't have an open line for this topic. However, this topic is very important because a lot of times, that's the biggest problem that we're having and the issue is just connecting with our community, being able to answer questions that they may have and any uncertainties, because sometimes you believe that, just like I said before, that just because that person's in uniform, just because they're driving a different car than the ones that you have, we have a little more light in the vehicle. You may hear the engine rev up, you may hear a siren, but I want to tell you that driving that vehicle inside of that vehicle, it's a human being Inside of that vehicle is somebody that needs to know that you most importantly care about, to know that, just because you don't know their name, that you can roll down that window, just like you would if you were lost and say, hey, officer, where is X, y and Z that you can say, hey, officer, just thank you for your service Officer, thank you for coming to work today, because we don't know that maybe that officer is coming to work and has a sick child or may have a situation in their family or may just need some type of encouragement, or may just need some type of encouragement. You may make the day of that officer so that he can better serve you or someone that calls and needs service.
Speaker 3:Most importantly, what I would like to share with you today is something of my life. I heard that you were talking about incidents that I've had to deal with as a police officer over 30 years and yes, I've had situations that have been a little tough to deal with. And sometimes folks may believe that we get up in the morning and put on our uniform, put on our equipment and we go off to battle and we're just so ready. But that's not what it is. You put on your uniform because you're going out there to do a job. You don't want to hurt anybody and you don't want anybody to hurt you.
Speaker 3:And sometimes you come back home and it didn't turn out the way that you planned. But some folks get to return back home and some don't. I don't want us to forget those officers that served and gave and made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. About once a year, we get together and we try to memorialize their efforts and celebrate their lives, but remember that when an officer goes down, that there's a family in need, there's a child that doesn't have a father, there's a nephew that doesn't have an uncle or a tia, because an officer is not just an officer 24 hours a day. Just like I told you, it's a human being. It's a family person.
Speaker 3:It's a family person, it's a church member and we have to keep them in your prayers. Our first responders, not only our police officers, our firefighters, our nurses, all of those people that you know what, when you really need somebody, you don't want to hear that, oh, they're not here, they're on a day off, and I don't think that you've had that situation when you call 911. Sometimes they're delayed, but you know that they're there, so it's very important. On my situation, I want to tell you that I've had to suffer through some incidents and I say suffer.
Speaker 3:And folks may think suffer, you guys don't suffer. Yeah, we do suffer, that's right, because that situation that we have to go through that major incident whether it be a shooting, a car accident where we're involved, or it may be responding to a shooting or responding to a traffic accident where we're not even involved but just the trauma of seeing that somebody ejected, losing a body part, or seeing a young child that has expired, and then when you realize or get the information that that child that has expired is the same age of your child at home, it's traumatizing. And then you know what's the biggest thing about that You're expected to move on. Yep, go to the next call. And go to the next call and be normal, like nothing ever happened.
Speaker 2:And it's impossible to do it.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Again, imagine, right, citizen, if you, you're listening, I'm a citizen, right, we're citizen, citizen, just mean, if you're not sworn. Law enforcement, yeah, I love it. I can't help but laugh. I mean, think how ridiculous. And let me talk about myself.
Speaker 2:How ridiculous it is for me to have a police officer arrive to I got an offender bender, hey, there's something suspicious. I call the police and I have no idea what they've just been through and I'm going to expect and assume all kinds of things you don't know. You don't know what they've been through. You don't know what they saw earlier that day. Give them a break, be compassionate man.
Speaker 2:Like you just heard from Sergeant Roseman, if you just tuned in man, how a police officer they may have to go from a baby that has passed away to your fender bender. That's not possible. Sergeant Roseman said it. That's not possible. Thank God that with God all things are possible, but in the human realm you can't do that, you can't process that, you know.
Speaker 2:The other thing I thought of Sergeant Roseman is two young people you know, maybe gang age, gang members, and you have to go and respond and somebody's been shot and this guy shot this guy and this person and that and you're going. Senseless violence, I mean man, another one that comes to mind as well. So thank you for sharing, thank you for being transparent with us, sharing your heart Again. Just what a police officer could go through. I mean, think about it statistically. Sergeant Roseman, let me ask you this If you have these numbers, you've served, you serve in a training capacity. You might know some numbers. Here's the question what's like the average career length? Because I think you're getting to the upper limits 30 plus years, I mean that's a long time in law enforcement. Do you have any stats or numbers for us?
Speaker 3:No, I don't have stats or numbers for you, but what I could tell you is that I'm glad that there is no average age and I'm glad that there's no average number of years of service, because I do believe that it's very important that the officer make the right choice instead of coming out here and maybe falling into a trend or falling into a type of behavior that will negatively affect the general police community relationship.
Speaker 3:If you feel that it's your time to leave, that it's okay for you to leave, but everybody understands that they leave. And then what do they do? Because you've done it for so long that now you have to retrain yourself to do something else, and sometimes we don't really have time to do that and have that 40 hour job. And then sometimes there's maybe an ailment because that person really has to go to some kind of process to be able to decompress, to then go back into civilian life, and sometimes it doesn't work as perfectly as everybody should think because they say, oh yeah, police officers make plenty of money and I know this one doing that one and this one's doing that and this and the other, and not understand that there's a hurting soul.
Speaker 2:That's in there. Well, let me just ask you to set the record straight. Here's a statement you can tell me, true or false, you can elaborate man, police officer, you make so much money, it's worth it. You can suffer whatever, because it's so good paying, it doesn't matter, it's just such a good paying job. The money is always worth it. I mean, is that true, false? Here's the point I'm trying to make and I want your honest answer. And maybe it's different than what I think. I don't think the money alone is enough. I think there has to be a calling, I think there has to be a desire. But tell me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 3:Well, I'll ask you, because you're a pastor, is the money worth it? People say, oh, he has a lot of money, he can just sit here on the radio AC and having a good time. A lot of times folks look and think that the grass is greener. On the other side, I can tell you that you as working on doing this ministry. That you're doing that I know because I know the work schedule that you have. You put in a lot of time and we're just hoping and we're just praying and we're just believing on the promises of God. That says that there's the three T's right Our time, our talents. Our time, our talents and our treasures belong to him. So the time that you give as a police officer, I don't think that they can ever compensate you for those times Because you know what, just like I told you, it's a 24-7 operation, which means that I can't say it's Christmas so I'm not going to work, because it's Christmas.
Speaker 3:Man who works on Christmas, everything's closed. The police department's open, so that means that your kids don't have you there at that particular time. And I'm not talking about everybody, but I'm saying a good number of officers are not able to spend time with their families and at dinner time be at home with their families, families and at dinner time, be at home with their families, or going to see your daughter's recital, or going to see your son in a play. So we hurt, we cry, we bleed and you know what.
Speaker 3:This is not popular at all to say in police work, but sometimes we're scared and it's okay. The struggle is real. What's important is that we struggle well and sometimes we have to wrestle with these feelings and on top of that, then, once we take this uniform off and we go home, then we have to now change our hats yeah and we have to be daddy, we have to be mommy, we have to be the deal husband and wife, and that's another struggle because there's relationships that struggle right now without even having this dynamic of law enforcement in it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so when we get home and we want to decompress now, it comes time that a is no time to decompress because we have to switch hats yep yep, and we're going to talk about that again.
Speaker 2:Something else that we we want to talk about very important. Um, I mean so much that was said and again, if you're listening and you're thinking I have a question about that, I I won't. I would like him to elaborate on something, or I would. I would like to make a comment on something he said. Again, we're not here to just uh, what's the word here? Just here's the way I would phrase it.
Speaker 2:Maybe you have a different opinion, maybe you have a different perspective. We're willing to listen again. We willing to listen Again. We're going to be respectful. We're going to keep it civil. I have a responsibility to the FCC to maintain our license. I have a responsibility to our guests to treat them well. But you might have a different opinion. That's fine. We can have a conversation we could share. We could have those different thoughts and opinions and perspectives, and you can call or you can text, or maybe you have the exact same opinion. You want to call and say, or you can text, or maybe you have the exact same opinion. You want to call and say amen, brother, yes, whatever it is, 786-313-3115, 786-313-3115. We're going to come back to that idea or that topic of family law enforcement. One of the words that we use dysfunctional. But before we get there you already know where I'm going. You mentioned something super fun. It sounded really cool. You had a stint of your career in the United Nations.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Tell us about that.
Speaker 3:Well, I was a what they call the IPTF, the International Police Task Force, and what happened there was that I worked with the United Nations and the United Nations, I'm sorry, I worked for our US government, which sent us out to work with the United Nations you would see the officers that walk around with the blue beret and I started off in a town or in a country called Haiti, and when I went to Haiti, what we were doing was mentoring, training and observing the Haitian police force. I did that for two years and then I was sent out to. Did you live full time in Haiti?
Speaker 2:Yes, I did for those two years, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then from there I came back to Miami and I was offered a position in East Timor. East Timor had some civil unrest East Timor.
Speaker 2:where is that?
Speaker 3:That's close. Well, let me explain something to you of the East.
Speaker 3:Timor. So we go for this training to go to East Timor and they turn around and they say, hey, listen, we don't need you in East Timor, and they change our flights and change our assignment and we go to a place called Yugoslavia, which is Kosovo. So that's actually where I end up and when I end up in Kosovo, I was in a place called Pristina, kosovo, and in Pristina, kosovo, we go to. We go to training in Pristina and from the training, I was assigned to a place called Istok, and Istok, kosovo, is where, you know, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet a police officer, another police officer, and we got married and it was awesome and we were married for 20 years and we had uh two, uh, two kids, my last two kids, which was, um, a beautiful young lady that we call amani, my youngest, and uh, young man, uh, sammy, and uh, he is, uh, my heart also that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Now, um, we got a text here. I'm gonna read it. But again, you know, I this is live radio. I don't know every detail, I don't know the answer to the question I'm gonna ask, but that might be a perfect segue into the idea of family dysfunction difficulty, because you said it was awesome and and we don't know everything that has happened, everything that has gone on. But we know that, whatever it is, god has carried you through it and we know that whatever you desire to share, your share and and obviously you have that discretion and that that that you know your, your personal life is yours as well. So we're going to come back to that and and I hope that's clear and I hope that the lord will just lead in that. But let's read the text message we got. You can call or or text as well 786-313-315. I'm just going to read this as it's written.
Speaker 2:Sergeant Roseman is such a blessing to our community, not only to the sworn law enforcement officers, but the civilian population as well. He's always looking for a way to benefit others. When I think of Sergeant Roseman, there's no more fitting scripture in my mind for him than 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3 through 4. Praise, more fitting scripture in my mind for him than 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 3 through 4. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we may comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. What an encouragement. They didn't leave a name, amen, so we just thank God for them and for that encouragement.
Speaker 3:Anything you want to say to the listener, yes, thank you very much for those very kind words and I humbly, am honored by them.
Speaker 3:And I tell you, my only goal, what makes me or assists my wake-ups in the morning, or assist my wake-ups in the morning is just thinking of how good God is to me and how he has done what he's done for me. Because when I just think about what he's done for me, I say, lord, you know what, if you do nothing else for me, I will praise your name, amen, and I will give you thanks. I tell you that a couple of months back, I was sitting in my desk. I will praise your name and I will give you thanks. I tell you that a couple of months back, I was sitting in my desk at the office and I was looking at hey, you know what, maybe it's about time to do this retirement thing. And when I'm looking at the different options because we have this option, plan of retirement a young man by the name of I don't know if I should put him out there, but I'm going to do it anyway- because I love him.
Speaker 3:Put him on blast, let's go, I love him is Chaplain Avila, which is a sworn police officer that also volunteers as a chaplain. And then you're like what do you mean? How could you be a police officer and you volunteer as a chaplain? Because folks say, hey, that doesn't work. You're getting paid. No, no, no, no, no. A police chaplain is.
Speaker 3:It's more than more than volunteer, because the hours that we're asked to volunteer, the times that people call us, sometimes are not the popular times, the times when we're out to dinner with our families or maybe we're at work and we're doing something else and we have to just leave whatever it is and answer it like a 911 call.
Speaker 3:We just take it that serious because we're doing God's work and, just like this radio, we're trying to do it God's way. We're trying to do it God's way. Folks, I'm telling you that the sacrifice that you see officers do every day is great, no matter how small, no matter which officer it is. There's no way for you to do this job, put on this uniform and not sacrifice. You know why? Because when there's trouble, folks are running the other way. The officer has to run into the problem. It's supposed to happen. If there's one or two instances that it hasn't happened, that's to be dealt with in those instances. But for the most part you have good people that are out there that are sacrificing and willing to sacrifice their lives and do it every day just to make sure that we get home.
Speaker 2:You know, man, so important what you said, and you know, you see, you see the, the strain on the family, on relationships, and you know, even here's another one that came to mind there are and again, this is life, guys, this is just the truth of it there's streets that you avoid. There's homeless encampments that you don't want to make the left, you'd rather go the long way. Who do you think is going to go down that street and try to deal with those people, whether it's get them a place, whether it's catch an offender that's hiding there, whether it's somebody has again, if there's kids listening, I mean I'm trying to be so careful, man, if somebody has passed away, if there's a drug issue, if there's a worse issue, I mean now I'm struggling with the words, I don't want to be offensive, but you don't got to deal with that, but somebody has to, and that's these men and women that have enlisted in law enforcement most of the time. And again this, don't charge this to sergeant roseman's account, but I'm gonna say this comment as well you might have an opinion of well, we should have social workers, we should have this, we should have that, we should have all this other team of people I'm not saying no to that, but what I'm saying is you can't have that team without a cop on that team and a lot of times they're carrying the team. So that's the comment I want to say.
Speaker 2:If sergeant roseman wants to comment, that's fine, but don't charge that head to his account. But he did want to talk about family. He did want to talk about some topics. It looks like there's a wonderful. It looks like a prayer notebook or devotional book. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3:But back to sergeant roseman well, I want to, just because I know that we're wrapping up and I know that we're talking about. We want the community to talk to us and if you have any questions, well, today I want to just dig a little deeper and talk to that officer that may be listening, wants to listen. A lot of the community doesn't understand that sometimes we don't have that 911 to call when we're going through our struggles. Sometimes we have to just try to figure it out our way, and not because there isn't resources available to us, but sometimes it's because of the way we are wired and we don't want to really show that there's a failure. We really don't want to show that we're crying inside and that we're reaching out to someone to try to help us. And in the midst of all of that, then relationship issues start to occur. You're just not the same person anymore. You don't love me anymore. You changed. I remember when you used to, and now you don't. I'm out.
Speaker 3:And then divorce comes. Dad, you used to throw the ball with me, you used to go to all of my games, you used to do this, you used to do that, and now you're just working so much you don't even have time for me? Do you love me? Your daughter? Daddy, mommy, we used to have so much time together and now, since you became a police officer, you have no time for me. But my friends, their parents, have time for them. So what do you do?
Speaker 3:I'm speaking to those officers that are out there that are really going through a struggle right now. I'm speaking to those officers that you may be in your home alone. You may be driving in your police car right now and you are lonely. There may be tears in your eyes, your heart is hurting. I want to tell you that you do matter. I want to tell you that you are important. I want to tell you that I'm here telling you what I've gone through.
Speaker 3:After 20 years of marriage. I went through a very bad divorce After having four beautiful kids. I had a struggle with each and every one of them. I was really looking at a very sad day in my life when I had to just turn back to that seed that I talked about when we first started, of just planted that planted seed that told me that you know what in Psalms 23,? That he's there with me, that he's my shepherd, that, although that I go through the shadow, although that I'm in a dark place, although I feel that even when I go to work I'm having issues, even though that I'm in my home and I'm alone, that he's there with me.
Speaker 3:I'm telling you, officer, that it's not by accident that you're listening to this broadcast. Before I got here, my prayer was Lord, help me to reach each and every person that you want me to reach. So if you're listening to it we've heard Joey say several times that today is December 5th and you're listening to it live, you may be listening to a recording, and I just want to let you know that Jesus loves you. This I know, for the Bible tells me so. So please Make contact with us. I'm going to go as far as saying that you're so important to me, officer. Give us a call, 305-579-6298, but, most importantly, call the station. They have plenty of resources here that will help you to get through the hump. You're important to us, just as we're trying to use God's way radio to get to the community and to bridge a gap between the officer and the community, and to bridge a gap between the officer and the community.
Speaker 2:Well, listen, officer we're just trying to let the community know that there's some officers that are in pain. Sarjah, thank you Again. That's one of the missions, one of the aims of this program, and we love talking, we love hearing stories. You know us civilians, we love hearing about law enforcement, learning, but we also hope, as you just said, that there will be officers listening that could hear maybe something they never heard before, because it's like any job you're going to work, you go, you're rushing back and forth and maybe some officers have never heard that we have somebody on the line. Thank you for calling. Where are you calling from today?
Speaker 2:sweet water and doral sweet water and draw my brother. I'm so thankful you called this morning, so thankful you called again now. I would ask you to keep it brief because I still have not asked this brother about chaplaincy, but we want to hear from you.
Speaker 6:Go for it man what he just spoke. I'm, I'm going, I'm going with him, I'm in a boat with him and I'm also letting let him know that what he's speaking is the truth. Why he's speaking the truth? Because, man, it's rough out there. It's not like before. When I came from cuba, we should leave with the door open, no problem, no issue, but then we got a lot of crazy people out there.
Speaker 6:You guys are risking your life, your life to come home, or maybe not to come home, maybe to say Daddy got shot. Wow, thank you guys, and I feel for you guys. Man, I'm praying, I'm seeking the Lord. May the Lord bless all of you, all the officers out there, fire rescue. If they got to run to get that red light, they're going through and they don't know. They don't know if they're not going to make it. You know, and they're doing it all for us, all for us. It's not about the money. Yeah, officers get paid good money, but that's not the issue. I don't care what the money they give me, not for knowing that a police officer, they make it home. Nah, man, stay with the money, bro, stay with the money, thank you amen we pray for you guys.
Speaker 6:We pray for you guys, we support you guys and we go forward in the name of jesus.
Speaker 3:That's all I wanted amen and thank you very much for your call. It's people like you that you represent 99% of the community and we do appreciate you and thank you for recognizing.
Speaker 6:I'm letting the city of Doral City of Doral, I work for the city of Doral I'm letting the you know giving the news to the police officers man, get your radio, Listen to 104.7.
Speaker 2:There you go, huh, I said7 there you go.
Speaker 6:I said there you go you know our agent causeway radio awesome because the lord is using me. So, guys, 104.7 listen to the radio, thank you, thank you driving around, you know, so you can hear what god has for you guys who knows, maybe that officer that, uh, sergeant Roseman was talking to is an officer at the City of Doral Police Department.
Speaker 2:You never know, my brother. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 6:Thank you.
Speaker 2:So, sergeant Roseman, with the last few minutes you started telling the story and then you left us hanging. I love it. You do have radio in your background. You said that you were sitting at the computer, you were thinking about retirement, and then there's Avila, yes, Avila comes in the room and he says hey, roseman, but you're not retired.
Speaker 5:What happened.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he says, roseman, I have something for you. And I'm like, wow, look, I'm just ready to hang up my gloves and to start that process. And he tells me my brother, I've just felt led to just talk to you about this. I need some help with the chaplains in the city of Miami, something that I had thought about early in my career, but it definitely wasn't on the radar for me.
Speaker 3:But how many of you all really know that sometimes your will has nothing to do with what God's will is in your life? It couldn't have come at a worse time in my life, because my life was such a mess. Such a mess because I was going through divorce, going through my kids, up and down, and in the midst of all of that, god was telling me that he needed me to put on my shoes, to put on my full armor, because he needed me to go out there and to go to work. And how many of you all have had that calling before from him saying that I need you to go left and go right, from him saying that I need you to go left and go right. And you have that little Jonah spirit that that has taken you to yeah that has taken you the other way.
Speaker 3:Well, god has a funny way to get us back in line. And if you know the story, that's exactly what happened. As I tried to resist it and find out reasons why not to, it just kept as I tried to resist it and find out reasons why not to. The only thing that kept coming to mind is I had to. And then I started working with the Miami Police Chaplaincy Detail, which is an awesome detail because I've met a group of guys that are working in a volunteer basis and giving their best, giving their best to our officers that are in need, and, just like I was talking to our officers that may be listening to this program, because this program is touching lives all over the world.
Speaker 3:This program is touching lives all over the world. You know, sometimes we take it for granted because, oh, they just that's just Joey from around the way, but let me tell you, there's folks that are listening through the World Wide Web right now in other countries, and we just want to tell them thank you for tuning in to us today and continue to support this program, because by supporting this program, the lives that we may be saving are our own as law enforcement officials as first responders. Just like the last caller said, this program is not only serving police officers, this program is also serving all first responders. So I want to give you. I want to thank you so much for having me here today. Of course, it was a blessing, and when you're ready, I would just like to be able to pray yes, let's do that now.
Speaker 2:Let's, let's end in prayer. Um, if you've been listening, you caught just part of the conversation on our live premiere, our live recording. Um, please, please, know that this will be on the Ask a Cop podcast, uh, adrian the producer working on the schedule, all that, but just know that it will be up there eventually. Know that there's other greater interviews there already. Wherever you get your podcast, search ask a cop and you'll find, uh, so much good stuff there. Sergeant roseman, I don't know, I haven't gotten a text from majoring yet, but we might have to have you back so let's see, how god leads, but please close us in prayer, yes and uh.
Speaker 3:Before I close in prayer, yes, and before I close in prayer, I just want to tell you that I would like to reach out to my brother, because I know that he's listening. Pastor Raz, I just want to tell him that he is so important to me and I just want to tell him that I love him and I thank him for allowing me to meet you, because Pastor Raz has been such a blessing for our organization and to me personally when I was going through a struggle. So let us pray Our Father in heaven. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to be here once again praising your name, opportunity to be here once again praising your name, father God. I pray for all of the officers that are listening to this program, father God, that may be going through a struggle, that, father God, that they may use the resources that are here for them, lord Jesus, so that they can overcome that. Father God, that they know that they do not have to resort to anything but your word, do not have to resort to anything but your word, anything but your grace, your mercy, to be able to overcome Lord Jesus. Thank you, lord, for the producer of the show. Thank you, lord, for everybody that works behind the scene to make this happen. Lord, I accept you enlarge their tents, lord, and that you strengthen them.
Speaker 3:Father God, I pray for all of the chaplains throughout the county. Strengthen them, father God. I pray for all of the chaplains throughout the county. I pray for all of the chaplains that are doing the work out there, lord, on a volunteer basis. Lord Jesus, thank you, lord, for these angels that you have sent to the officers. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Amen, we have a very special last-minute phone call You're live.
Speaker 5:I got to say that I'm at the doctor's office literally right now. My wife is next to me.
Speaker 6:Wow.
Speaker 5:But I've been listening to the program and I just couldn't let Sargent Roseman go off the air without saying that he is a godsend to the Miami Police Department, to our community and today to the Ask a Cop program, definitely going to come back. I'm a little jealous that he came in the afternoon before the morning, but I won't hold that against him. I'm still going to have him in the morning. But, my brother, I love you. I thank you for putting your life on the line to make our neighborhoods safer, to bring sanity to the life that we live that has so many threats with the criminal element. I also want to say to you that I appreciate your stand-up attitude for Jesus Christ, who went to the cross for you and for me and for everyone, whether people believe it or not or accept it or not, and so I respect a person that stands up for Jesus. Thank you for being on the show. God bless you and love you.
Speaker 5:My brother and I just can't say enough. I'm going to hang up now. Sorry, I you and love you, my brother and I just can't say enough. I'm going to hang up now. Sorry I didn't call sooner, but I hope you guys understand. Thank you.
Speaker 3:God bless, amen and thank you, pastor Raz, and we do appreciate you. As we come to a close, once again, I'm going to tell you, folks, this is not a show full of personalities that are perfect. No, no, no, no, no, we've been broken. We make mistakes, but you know what God's grace and mercy is, what saves us, and this is the reason why this is called God's Way Radio. It's not about us.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to Ask a Cop. For more information or to get in contact with us, visit our website policethankyoucom. Thank you, we look forward to continuing the conversation when you join us next time for Ask a Cop.