American Police Beat: January 2018 21 and civilian employees. The Dodgers and the MLB wanted four in uni- form to audition for Game 7. Curry sent out an email to members of the choral group who she thought could meld in that short time span. She went with the first three who re- sponded – Ray Morales, Tim Talman, and Mi- chelle Ayerdis. The quartet met on Tuesday morning, spent thirty minutes learning their harmony parts by ear from tapes provided by Talman (Curry sopra- no, Talman bass, Ayerdis alto and soprano, Morales tenor), and made the re- quested audition video. When the Dodgers se- we are more than just officers, more than the uniform,” HPD Officer Dempsey said. The Astros and Dodgers unite LAPD with the community they serve and protect. “I am proud to have had an opportunity to respect my country and the flag,” HPD Officer Vernon Lewis said. Our banner yet waves The Houston Blues quartet consisting of (lto r) Houston PD Officers Vernon Lewis, Danielle Dempsey, Wendy Caldwell, and Katie Muldrow sing the national anthem at the Rockets season-opening home game on October 21, 2017. Two Ballparks, One Shared Experience lected them for Game 7, they practiced on Wednes- day morning before tak- ing the field that evening. “We were representing a bigger entity than just ourselves,” noted LAPD Officer and Air Force vet- eran Michelle Ayerdis. All eight struggled to calm their nerves as the stadium filled with fans and photographers. All eight felt the energy and roar of the crowd rum- ble deep inside them. A sensation they will never forget. “I will look back at this as the highlight of my professional life as a police officer,” LAPD De- tective III Morales said. A thirty-year LAPD vet- eran, Morales has worked in homicide, vice, and currently in Explosive Threat Investigations in the Criminal Conspiracy Section. He also served in the Air Force. “This showed the public The Game surprised the quartets by making special arrange- ments for the officers to watch the ballgames. LAPD singers watched from the stands and re- ceived rowdy towels as gifts. Houston singers watched from a suite and received personalized As- tro jerseys. Dempsey and Muldrow, who were riding Northeast Patrol together, had to work the night of Game 4 and called their sergeant for permission to stay, which he granted. “When we arrived at work twenty minutes late, the rest of the shift was jealous and blamed us for the Astros’ loss,” Houston Officer Muldrow recalled. “We are still recovering in Dodgerland.” LAPD Hollywood Vice Officer Talman says there is no bigger Dodger fan than him. Talman, who acted in TV, movies, and plays before join- ing LAPD, performed in Houston with Theater Under The Stars. “Houston deserved that win,” Detective Morales said, referring to the trag- edy of Harvey. “The As- tros played hard. A well- earned win.” The Houston Blues quartet Barbara A. Schwartz is a Houstonian and Astros fan. Barbara writes exclusively about the brave officers of law enforcement. She serves and supports those who serve and protect. This article was reprinted with permission of the author from the “Badge & Gun,” the official publi- cation of the Houston Police Officers’ Union. Barbara Schwartz is a frequent con- tributor to American Police Beat on a wide variety of law enforcement issues. ★ The Star- Spangled Banner sang to heal a city. “Singing the anthem touched our hearts because of Harvey,” HPD Officer Dempsey said. The LAPD quartet sang what Officer Talman calls a “sacred song” to Hand crafted silver and gold jewelry by a former San Antonio PD Detective. Rings, pendants, tie tacks, charms. Low prices, beautiful craftsmanship. www.sadiamonds.com 210-930-3900