CINCINNATI -- For first responders, work doesn't stop for Thanksgiving dinner. According to Lt. Steve Saunders of the Cincinnati Police Department, the city tries to give as many officers as possible the day off, but still needs to maintain basic staffing levels to ensure a safe holiday for civilians.
Newbie Officer Josh Condon, for one, didn't mind being on duty Thursday evening. It was his first Thanksgiving as a member of CPD, but not his first away from home and family.
Condon served in Afghanistan in 2013 and spent the holiday with his unit instead of his relatives; even before that, his family members worked jobs that didn't always mean they were together on the holiday itself.
"My family all worked at hospitals, have always worked the holidays and we've always worked out family stuff around it," he said.
It was also his first Thanksgiving before becoming a father. Condon will spend much of December on vacation with his wife and newborn daughter, who could arrive within the next week.
So Thursday was special — even if it didn't involve turkey or mashed potatoes.
A grant allowed the Cincinnati Police Department to send out additional patrols in traffic problem areas starting Nov. 17 and ending Nov. 26. Police Chief Eliot Isaac said he hoped the effort would "save lives and improve the quality of life" for Cincinnatians hoping to celebrate a safe holiday season.
