There are a lot of emotions going through Indiana State Police Sgt. Philip Hensley right now.
Days after going to Dallas to serve in an honor guard for one of the five police officers slain by a sniper targeting cops, the spokesman for the Jasper post challenged society as a whole to work toward a peaceful solution to stop the much publicized streak of violence toward law enforcement.
"Until we get some serious actions of people wanting to step up and wanting to make a difference, this is going to be a cycle that does not stop," Hensley told the Courier & Press on Monday. "If it does not stop what we're going to end up with is complete chaos. We can't have that. This is America. We cannot live in fear, we cannot live in chaos. We have to get this fixed."
Law enforcement, too, needs to make sure it's part of the resolution, Hensley said. His comments came less than 24 hours after the shooting of three Baton Rouge, Louisiana-area law enforcement officers. Baton Rouge is the same city where Alton Sterling was killed by police earlier this month. A day after Sterling's death, another black man was killed by law enforcement in Minnesota during a traffic stop. The two deaths led to renewed nationwide protests about the treatment of the black community by police.
It was at one of those rallies that the five Dallas police officers were gunned down July 7. Hensley traveled to the funeral of Dallas Police Department Sgt. Michael Smith as part of the Indiana State Police honor guard. Three Evansville officers were also in Texas last week to pay their respects. That group included Jeff Kingery, who was on the Dallas force from 1991 to 1996. Evansville police Sgt. Brian Hildebrandt and officer Nick Winsett were the other two from Evansville who went.
"I've never seen that many officers there showing their support in one place at one time," said Henlsey, who called it "humbling" and "an honor" to be at the funeral. "It really puts things in perspective with yourself. Every single officer who's there has family, has friends, has people who care and love them and them to come home at the end of their shift. The reality is that every time that we go out to work, we may not come home. And in this case, five guys didn't."
Hensley said he and other law enforcement officers need to keep doing the right thing and honor the oath they have taken to protect all members of the public in the face of recent events. He also said that police should not be immune to criticism when they deserve blame. Hensley said he will always be proud of his job as an Indiana State Trooper and realizes that status means he represents something that "transcends" himself because he and his fellow officers have "pledged to be the ones who stand between the bad guys and everybody else."
"If we as law enforcement will do that, society will pick up on our lead. If we are out here doing our thing and doing it right, that will change things on our end," he said. "We need people out here doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do."
Hensley said he believes local and regional law enforcement agencies have good relations with the community. But he encouraged groups and individuals who have issues with police to come forward and speak to officials so the situation can be remedied in productive manner.
"Approach us, come to us with your problems," Hensley said. "If you think you're not being treated fairly, let us know so we can try to figure out what the deal is."
That kind of open communication is exactly what the local chapter of the NAACP has had with the Evansville Police Department for the last few years. The Rev. Gerald Arnold has had regular meetings with Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin since Bolin assumed the chief post in 2012. The day after the Dallas shooting, Arnold met with police officials and Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and then encouraged other leaders around the state to do the same hours after that meeting.
The Evansville Police Department will also be hosting its monthly Coffee with a Cop program on Tuesday from 7-9 a.m. at the Lincoln Avenue Donut Bank. The program, started a few years ago, gives the public an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with members of the police department.