Her resume is impressive. She\u2019s worked everything from patrol to violent crimes to child sex crimes to the assault squad and eventually homicide. Michelle also had a stint with the Metro Case Squad, which handles larger cases for departments who don\u2019t have the experience or personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n
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She taught leadership at the police academy, worked as a sergeant with the metro patrol, wrote departmental policies and procedures, ran the Shoal Creek Division evening shift and worked for the information management unit. From there she went to internal affairs and eventually got promoted to major. She\u2019s been with the north patrol division for just over a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her favorite role was working in child sex crimes, because, unlike many other crimes, if you can remove the predator from their lives, those children have a greater chance of not having a repeat of that type of victimization in their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, as you might expect, that division also leaves the deepest scars for a police officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI reached a point in year 17 where I was starting to manifest what I now know are typical signs of cumulative trauma,\u201d she said. \u201cI had told myself that PTSD was something that happened with veterans who were shipped off to war. I was ignorant to the fact that law enforcement personnel can sometimes die the death of 1000 paper cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michelle came to the conclusion that she needed help, so she signed up for The Battle Within, which is an organization that helps veterans and first responders like Hon cope with the sometimes-hidden trauma of their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGoing through that program, with five days of self-care, and getting educated about the physical and emotional effects of trauma, was a life-changing experience for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She has gone back as a program mentor for the last seven years and now advocates for all the officers under her command to deal with those hidden stresses. Coming from a major, it removes the stigma of needing help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI believe that taking care of themselves is worth it,\u201d she said. \u201cI believe it\u2019s more important than answering calls for service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are two types of sick, and we typically think only about being physically sick. But it\u2019s the \u2018heart sick\u2019 that gets the law enforcement officer. Sending them to get help is huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen they come back, I want them to be happy. I want them to reconnect with their old, playful, creative, fun selves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of her lifetime of work, Hon is the September recipient of the \u201cBlue KC Answering the Call\u201d award, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and benefitting The Battle Within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She recognizes that vulnerability is the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really want to be an open book,\u201d she said. \u201cI want my officers to understand that it\u2019s a matter of when and not if. I\u2019ve been there, and I get it. I just want you to go and take care of yourself. You don\u2019t have to be me. You don\u2019t have to wait 17 years to take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019re from the heart of the city or a small town.<\/p>\n\n\n
Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs<\/h3>
Blue KC Answering the Call Program<\/p> <\/div>\n