I had the pleasure this weekend to go on two ride-alongs with area law enforcement officers. On Friday, I rode along with Bronson Police Chief Gene Parker. Sunday, I tagged along with Bourbon County Undersheriff Ron Gray.

Both experiences were pleasant and informative.

Parker took me on patrol around the sprawling metropolis that is Bronson. The purpose of the ride-along was to gain information on an upcoming story I'm investigating. It was raining, so there wasn't many people roaming the streets. Somehow I don't think there's a lot people mingling around when it's not pouring.

We parked the police car at a visible location off U.S. Highway 54 and checked for speeders heading east into Bronson. And, for you information, there is no speed trap in Bronson anymore. This wasn't a speed trap deal, just checking for potential speeders entering into the city limits.

We then cruised neighborhoods. Parker was friendly and polite to any resident who he ran into on patrol. He said it's community policing, getting to know the people he serves.

Excitement was in short supply most of the night. The highlight, I guess, of the night was when we approached two teenagers walking in the rain. They told us their sister got angry and out of the house. We looked a various places in town and came up empty.

The girl came back home and all was well.

Sunday, I rode shotgun with Undersheriff Ron Gray. I wanted to check out the various flooding spots in the county. Gray took me to multiple locations that had moderate to severe flooding.

Gray knew definitely where to look. He took me right to numerous water-filled roads. Also, there's no doubt that he knows how to do his job and do it adequately.

One thing I noticed with both officers was their keen sense of vision and awareness of their surroundings. They were constantly scanning the land. I guess that's their job and were trained that way.

Here's one example of the awareness factor.

Gray received a call from a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper who told him about nine horses that escaped from their pasture. We were in the area of where the horses were thought to be. As we drove north on 215th, Gray spotted the animals in a pasture surrounded by wooded area up on a hill. Tell you the truth, I didn't see them. They were about one-half to three-quarters of a mile away when he spotted them grazing in a field. And Gray was driving, too.

We are fortunate to have high quality law enforcement officers in the county and city of Fort Scott.

My thanks go out to Parker and Gray and all law enforcement officers as well as firefighters and first responders for serving the community.