On Wednesday May 6th, a light went out in our community with the loss of a local police officer. Just a few miles from our home lies the coastal town of Ocean City, Maryland, a place you might associate with seagulls and french fries, boardwalk fun and the beautiful mid-Atlantic beaches we all love so much. But that's just the first impression of this place, because the more time you spend here the better your chances were of seeing a familiar face and.....that smile, which is what I remember most about Sgt. Green.
I never knew him, only once I think, while at the OCPD Mounted Patrol open house event the department hosted last summer. I'm sure I asked the same questions as everyone else probably does but you couldn't tell because he always seemed so enthusiastic with replies and answers. Although we talked only once, I'd seen Sgt. Green and his equine partner around plenty - so much in fact that he was woven into the backgrounds of countless photos I'd taken all over Ocean City and even beyond the town limits - always engaging with locals and visitors; always cheerful; on the boardwalk, at "Jake's Parade" last winter, the law enforcement Torch Run, patrolling parking lots at midnight during weekend car events, National Night Out and "Heroes Day" at the elementary school. I didn't know Officer Green at all, and yet I always had this distinct feeling he loved what he did and the community he served.
• Press release Ocean City Police Department
• OC Police mourning lost of Sgt. Charles “Chip” Green WMDT
• OCPD Mourns Mounted Officer’s Unexpected Passing MD Coast Dispatch
• Ocean City Police mourn the loss of beloved Sgt. Green WGMD
Wish there had been a conversation, or a chance to say hello or thank you for being an inspiring and reassuring presence all around our town. Maybe being shy isn't a good thing. And today, after sorting through albums and folders, looking for some photographs which would have included that smile, I wish I'd taken more photos. Rest in peace, sir. We miss you already.
DSLEO was created for law enforcement of the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware and the eastern shore areas of Maryland and Virginia), along with advocating respect for all officers. Hashtags | #delmarvablue and #delmarvasupportsleo
