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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Chris Honoré: Reality television and the GOP primaries ... Mural of rescued horses to be unveiled in Talent ... Designer creates spaces for people to have experiences ... Chris Honoré: Reality television and the GOP primaries ... Mural of rescued horses to be unveiled in Talent ... Designer creates spaces for people to have experiences ... LAW ENFORCEMENT Interim chief talks about the stress of police work Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 5:40 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 5:40 PM » Social News Of all hazardous occupations, being a cop has to be the most. Yet, ironically, they save us from danger more than any other occupation. With the retirement of Ashland Police Chief Terry Holderness, his taking over of the helm on an interim basis on April 17, we talked to Deputy Police Chief Tighe (pronounced "tie") O'Meara, who is serving as interim chief. O’Meara says, “We’re required to deal with the most dangerous people in the community, facing physical confrontation on a daily basis.” In just the prior day, he says, “There was a fight. We called in backup of three officers.” They subdued the suspects. Just another day, but, “Even in Ashland, an officer is expected to go toward violence and gunfire, when common sense would tell you to run. Anytime you stand up for the public, you face an extraordinary set of risks.”  O’Meara was a cop for many years in Detroit, one of the most dangerous cities in the country before coming to the seemingly “polar opposite” town of Ashland. “Detroit was a bad situation, a city dying and in decay and here. To be part of a very beautiful and high-functional town is a real treat,” he says. In seemingly idyllic Ashland, there’s still stress and hazard to the job, he notes. “Here, the vast majority of poeple are very supportive of law enforcement, but not very vocal about it. The people we hear from in Ashland are very questioning of authority and they should be. They demand accountability and transparency from the police and I want to emphasize I’m good with that. Police are given a great deal of power to affect people’s lives and should be held accountable for use of that power.” In his career on opposite ends of the danger spectrum, has he ever been shot at? Thankfully, no. Nor has he shot at anyone. “I came close, though, to shooting someone. People need to know the vast majority of police never shoot at anyone.” Still there are “negative parts” of being a cop. “So much of police work requires anger with at least one person, resulting in a very bad day for the person. It requires you inject yourself into their worst day — sexual assault, being robbed, their car stolen, some trauma to varying degrees.” So, how do cops deal with the stress? For O’Meara, his husband, Sebastian — they married last year under Oregon’s new marriage equality laws — is an anchor after a hard day on the job, he says. “He’s been a police spouse 16 years. He’s not unfamiliar with my stress. He’s a great outlet for me. He lived in my patrol area in Detroit and would look out the living room window and could see me deal with it. He’s supportive and understanding and yanks me back into reality, a more calm place. He helps de-escalate and get me back to a more peaceful state of mind.” Police get their bi-weekly paycheck, but O’Meara says the “real paycheck” is when you save a life. This happened in Detroit, a seemingly innocuous asthma reaction of a 9-year old boy at school. Instead of waiting for the ambulance, per regulations, O’Meara knew death was at hand, put the boy in his car and sirens on, had him at the emergency room in moments. “I don’t think of myself as having saved a life. It just felt good to help out. It’s an unwritten rule that police don’t transport to the hospital. Maybe I had a part in it. But they gave me a gift bag and a T-shirt. I still wear it. It’s a prize possession. It’s rewarding. There’s a lot of negative parts to this job so you have to latch onto the positive when it comes along.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 5:40 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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