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Heroes Article

June 13, 2008

EmailPrintTalk BackRegisterRSSWhat's This

Texas officers shave heads to help fellow cop

By Richard Steward
The Houston Chronicle

ALVIN, Texas — Police in this Brazoria County town have taken on the bald-is-beautiful look.

Almost the entire police department sported shaved heads Thursday. They weren't shorn as a fashion statement, but to raise money to help a fellow officer pay medical expenses for his 3-year-old son, who lost his hair while fighting leukemia.

"Look, Brian, they all look like us," Officer Forest Hill told his son as they met in front of the police station with most of the 43 officers and others who volunteered to lose their hair to raise money.

"The ladies don't," the quiet, but observant lad answered. Brian kept very quiet as hairless officers stood in line to sign his white T-shirt. Occasionally he'd put his plastic dragon on an officer's bald head or throw his toy police car at one.

Donors paid $100 each for the officers to get their hair cut. The money is being raised by the Alvin Police Officers Association, which also held a fundraiser for Brian last month.

In all, townspeople, members of civic clubs, and businesses donated more than $6,300 just to see cops go bald, Sgt. Jamie Crabtree said, but more is needed.

A group called Blue Santa donated $1,000 for Chief Mike Merkel to have his hair cut.

"This is the first time in more than 50 years I've had this little hair," he said. He kept his moustache, saying it would cost even more for him to give that up.

Municipal Judge Bill Pannell said he raised $1,100 to get his hair cut, even though he only had it cut very short and not shaved. "I've got a daughter getting married soon and the new haircut had to be approved by my wife before I got it," he said.

As the officers stood outside the station, passers-by honked horns, waved and shouted. A group of people stood across the street, applauded and cheered.

Merkel and the officers association put out a warning that people in the area should wear sunglasses.

"We don't want all the glare to cause an accident," the notice said.

Crabtree said Brian's fight with leukemia has touched many officers.

"His dad served in Iraq and he's seen more courage in his son through all of this," Crabtree said.

"He never has cried," Forest Hill said.

Brian was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on March 31. Although doctors at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has said he is now in remission, he must continue to undergo chemotherapy for 2 1/2 to 3 years to keep the cancer from coming back.

The family has medical insurance, but Forest Hill said there are plenty of uninsured costs.

Hill, 29, grew up in Alvin and has been on the police force for more than six years. In 2005 he served a tour in Iraq with the Marines.

"I'm impressed with what the guys are doing," he said, "but I'm not surprised. This is the kind of thing they do for each other."

Brian's mother, Erin, chose not to get her hair cut, as did most of the female officers on the force.

Mini Trent, wife of officer Bruce Trent, did go hairless. "I did it to show support of a little boy who has been very brave," she said. "He's been through more than most of us, and he's only 3 years old."

She was all smiles Thursday, but said her 12-year-old daughter cried when she saw her shorn mother.

In all, 34 of the department's 48 officers had their hair cut, as did three children of officers, one wife, the municipal judge and the department chaplain.

Most had their hair cut Thursday at The Wild Hair Salon or Robin's Full Service Salon, which shaved the heads for free. A few were cropped earlier in the week.

The department's uniforms do not include hats, Merkel said.

Merkel said the hairless look should make his officers even more efficient.

"If the bad guys are laughing at us, we can catch them easier. If it makes them more afraid of us, then nothing would have changed," he said.

"Now I will expect my officers to solve every crime within an hour," Merkel joked. "That's what Kojak did."

Copyright 2008 The Houston Chronicle

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