Officers go low key in leisure time in wake of attacks

INDIANAPOLIS — For the nine years she's worked for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Lauren Carmack routinely has parked her cruiser in front of her home.

Now with the ambush-style killings of five police officers July 7 in Texas and three July 17 in Louisiana, plus the July 12 shooting of an Indianapolis officer's home and parked police cruiser, she's not so sure it's wise to draw attention to her profession — at least while she's at home, off duty, with her family.

Officer Alex Redding of Speedway, Ind., has concluded that his children should no longer ride in his marked car, a noteworthy change for the 36-year-old dad whose son dresses up like a cop each Halloween and wants to follow in his footsteps. Carmack has decided that she should not wear clothing that identifies her as a police officer while she's out with her stepdaughter.

"You are definitely a little more paranoid because it's kind of unthinkable that could happen," Carmack, 36, said about recent violence against police. "I kind of always tend to think worst-case scenario."

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Traditionally, spouses, always worried about bad news, remind their loved ones to wear their bulletproof vests, make sure they kiss goodbye at the door or check in with a call or text message during shifts.

On Monday night, an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer was shot during a traffic stop. A second officer also was injured but both had injuries that weren't life threatening, a department spokesman said. On July 16, a bullet hit another officer in the leg as the officer was responding to a report of a suicidal man.

The Redding family stresses the importance of teaching their kids to stay safe while finding ways to delicately describe the dangers of dad's profession.

"We don't want to scare them, but we also don't want them to live in a bubble where they don't know what's going on," said Redding's wife, Arden. "So it's kind of a balancing act where we make sure that our kids know Daddy does everything he can to stay safe, but unfortunately there are people in the world who don't have the best of intentions."

So far this year, the nation has witnessed 32 firearms-related deaths among law enforcement, a 68% increase from the same time period in 2015. President Obama highlighted the risks to law enforcement in a letter earlier this month and the Republican National Convention also highlighted the risks.

"You put on the uniform every single day, and you may or may not be called to respond to a run that requires a person on the other side of that room with a gun, and they may take your life," said Indianapolis Detective Aaron Hamer, 33, who is married and has four children. "What does that look like for your family?"

In 2011, Carmack's beat partner was shot in the hip as he sat in his cruiser filling out paperwork. She watched in disbelief as the drive-by shooters sprayed him with bullets.

Her partner yelled out that he had been hit. Carmack swore in response.

“I was scared. I remember the one side of my ear, I felt like, rang for days,” Carmack said. “When he went to the hospital, he was more worried about if I was OK than if he was OK. And I was like, ‘You’re in the frickin’ hospital! Shot!’ ”

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The injury drew the two officers closer together. They became best friends and started dating. Now they're married.

Lauren and Dustin Carmack no longer patrol together as partners. But Lauren notes that a person shares a particular kind of intimacy with your spouse when you’re working the same job.

Both have the same hours. Both hear each other on the police radio.

If something happens to one of them, the other is sure to hear it.

"It's kind of a blessing and a curse,” she said.

The good news about the increased violence against police officers is that many members of the public are showing their appreciation. Since the recent attacks, officers say people offer to pick up the tab for a cup of coffee or a meal, want to shake their hands or say thank you.

Even though Lauren Carmack loves being out on patrol, which she calls a combination of peacekeeping, social work, relationship therapy and occasionally enforcing the law, her father sometimes encouraged her to get off the street by sending her postings for desk jobs. He gave up when he realized she was happy, she said.

"I can't see doing anything else," she said. "We'll retire as cops."

Contributing Michael Anthony Adams, The Indianapolis Star. Follow Jill Disis and Robert King on Twitter: @jdisis and @RbtKing