My condolences to the officer and his family. 

Was it necessary to have that many vehicle and helicopters out there with today's fuel prices and the cities and county's money situation??Just from the pictures, I estimate in excess of 100 city and county vehicle's. That is a lot of  fuel that we have to pay for.

What is the Californian's position on this since they are always on the lookout for waste??? 

Uh, Popeye.  That's the funeral procession.  They estimated over 300 law enforcement officers went to the funeral.  Those are their patrol vehicles.  Would you have preferred they walked to the funeral?  Took cabs?

Maybe you would have preferred they took their own vehicles.  That's an idea, but this officer died in the line of duty, hence the honor guard, television news cameras, etc.  It's still a rare enough event for an officer to die in the line of duty that they do all this for their funerals.  Either you agree with the hooplah or you don't, I guess.  A funeral procession of patrol vehicles, with their lights shining, is part of that tradition.

I understand your position about saving money.  Every little bit helps.  But I wouldn't want to try to make that argument to this officer's widow or family or brothers in arms.  "Sorry.  I know we had funeral processions for the other local officers in the past few years who died in the line of duty, but that was when the budget was better.  For your husband we'll just have everybody drive their SUVs and honk their horns."

BTW--My husband was one of the deputies that went to the funeral, and he carpooled with another deputy.  I don't know about anyone else. 

I agree with you Catherine. The procession of vehicles was stunning. This was my first funeral since working at the Sheriff's Office and I hope it will be the last. I believe its an honor to have all of the counties represented from Sacramento to San Diego. I guess people that don't have family or friends in law enforcement don't realize what the deputies families go through on a daily basis.

As for the fuel issue Popeye every Kern County deputy was doubled or trippled up in patrol vehicles. The Sheriff's Office had already thought about the fuel issue. Thanks for your concern.  

Officers were encouraged to carpool not only to save fuel but to help with traffic issues. And many went in their off duty vehicles.

James's worth it.

Cost you ask?   How about a set a children with no father?  How about a wife who must now continue through life alone wondering how she is going to raise her children...support them. 

Your something else.  If you are ever in the Washington DC area ,go visit the national monument for fallen officers.  The monument inscribed with thousands of names is indicative of the ultimate cost of being a safety officer killed while protecting individuals in communities all over the nation.

By the way, my father, Ray Miller, was killed in the line of duty in 1985.  I was 14 years old.  The cost of having all the officers at his funeral was priceless.      My family only has memories -- the funeral procession is an invaluable one and lives on forever in the mind of all personally involved. 

I will not mail you a check for your share of the cost.  The cost of losing a dad was far more than having 100 patrol units at his services.

I wondered when someone would question the cost to the tax payers ... gas, overtime, etc....  whats ya gonna do?  ration out the support?  ya right ...  no civilized community worries about such things in times of tragedy like this ... unfortunately, the financial impact of this accident on the county treasury is PROBABLY not over yet ...   lawsuits would not shock me

I no cop lover BUT when a person who puts his butt on the line to make this world a safer and better place for me and you gets taken out doing his job then I say honor him/her with an all out funeral....I can only imagine how great it was for his kids to see all those cops, cop cars, motorcycles and helicopters all there to show respect for their dad. That is a good thing...... 

Popeye, when you die, maybe your family and friends can have your funeral at the GET bus terminal downtown. That way they can take the bus there and save on some gas. However, there will still be a cost to the public for having the downtown BPD footbeat officers chase the homeless and loiters away so the preacher can speak.

It may be too hard ta figger the allocated fuel cost.

I may just send a can a spinach.........

Of late not a death noted on these blogs gets by  without this type of *stuff*~ a human life is worth respect let alone one who serves this community. Remember to keep the other officer in your thoughts.

Huh? Chico please reread my comment. I noted that clearly.

Ahem.....

Noted ...... "clearly" .......

Popeye's got some anterior brachialius' but no prefontal lobes.

Ease up....... have a Tequiza............

Was listening to easter candy, lipid lib loquatiator on 1230 and became distracted with Fran Florez Fangango fuels logic........... forgive my misconstrued intent........... 

Watched sister native american bestowing sainthood upon chief obama as he will harness the wind........ will solve our problems......... 

Bifurcationally beneficient black man on TV (smartest man on tube -- NFL lookin dude named James on with Cavuto) saysObama is Carter II........  legions worse than Bush III could ever be envisioned to be........ 

Obama: "......rest of the world? is it OK with you if I run my hooch @ 72?......"

Okay~ it's just sometimes ,I feel like you do not understand me....roflol,

Popeye, thank you for first expressing your condolences -- before expressing your concern about the costs to the communities.  I know others share your "costs" concern as I have heard them make such comments.   I've heard comments about the fact that we do less for those killed in Iraq.

Unfortunately, LEOs & their support groups tend to get very emotional when they lose one of their own.  (they react differently when their conduct brings about the death of an innocent person who does not wear one of their uniforms; their training makes them insensitive to the pain of others.)

Here, because the officer did not die as a result of the act of some criminal (he died because of decisions made & acts taken by LEOs), they cannot lash out at the criminal.  Maybe that's why they jumped on your words, which they preceive as insensitive.  They need an outlet for their anger, and -- BINGO -- you're it!  

Tag!! ;)

Seriously, while I do understand the anger & frustration being expressed here, I do not think it reflects well upon LEOs in general and I certainly think it does NOT honor the man they wish to honor.  They should remember the wise words, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  Or, ...  

1.  Honor the officer by respecting those whom public servants are duty bound to serve.  Focus on the public; not your personal pain. 

2.  Honor the officer by respecting the rights of the public who come to this public forum to express their views and concerns.  

3.  Honor the officer by dealing with personal emotions privately.

4.  Honor the officer by changing whatever needs to be changed so another LEO does not die because a fellow LEO crashes into him or her when he or she pulls out in front of him or her.  PREVENT this sort of "accident" from being repeated.  Do this in honor of your brother ---  it is far more important than a costly public display of pomp & circumstance ...

• Land of Hope and Glory 
• Mother of the Free
• How shall we extol thee
• Who are born of thee?
• Wider still and wider
• Shall thy bounds be set
• God, who made thee mighty
• Make thee mightier yet...
• God, who made thee mighty
• Make thee mightier yet.

I still think Popeye suffers nystagmous

The founders warned against nobility and elevation of the state to this degree of holiness.

On another very obvious note, is creating the potential for thousands of traffic risks the best way to honor a man who died in a traffic collision? These silly rituals and royal tributes are disgustiing, but then I expect no less from the simpletons and Government worshippers of Bakersfield. Cops aren't God...

James is...some kind of holy.    

No government-worshipper was he, by the way.

It may seem like I'm making a shocking statement.  But the emotional and spiritual inclination to raise up the memory of people and to believe in their protective presence is an ancient and honorable aspect of the human spirit through the ages.

Few things ennoble us more, whatever our religious tradition is, than loving the noble departed.

I also want to complain about the 100 vehicles in the procession.  I'd rather see 200.

Well johnbravo6, if you want a glitzy law enforcement funeral procession of your own, become a law enforcement officer.  If you don't have a criminal record (some misdemeanors are okay,) and are physically fit enough to pass the physical training and are smart enough to pass the written test, then you can join the academy.  Local agencies are always hiring.

Of course, after you do all that, you have to die on duty.

Good post Cat.

Cat~ it is a pleasure to read your words.