Happy Holidays!

As 2009 draws to a close, all of us here at MSC would like to thank each and every one of you for your business, support, and encouragement. We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and look forward to working with you to make 2010 an even better (and safer) year!

Pelham Mourns the Loss of a Hero

On 03 Dec 2009, Pelham Police Officer Phillip Davis was murdered in the line of duty. According to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial, Officer Davis is one of 45 officers to have been killed by gunfire this year in the US (an 18% increase over 2008) and one of 116 officers killed in the line of duty this year in the US.

We mention Officer Davis' sacrifice specifically for two reasons:

• Because MSC is located in Pelham, Alabama, and it's no accident why that is so. The Pelham, AL Police Department is one of the best trained, best educated, and person-for-person best overall police agencies in the United States. The staff at MSC travels across the US and Canada and interacts with many great Law Enforcement Officers. We're always glad to come home to Pelham, and glad to know that it's the Pelham PD who's watching our homes and families while we're gone. Officer Davis was a part of that, and we are grateful to him (and his fellow officers) for their fine work.
• Because Officer Davis was murdered on a traffic stop. Vehicle collisions (a.k.a. "traffic accidents") kill 37,000 people each year in the United States. As a society, we try to combat that staggering number with engineering, education, and enforcement. That is what Officer Davis was doing when he was murdered: enforcing the traffic laws that are designed to keep the rest of us from getting killed.

Officer Davis leaves behind a wife and two young children (he was 33 years old). Those of us who are grateful for his service, and have been blessed with more than we need, can make a donation to his family at any America's First Credit Union. The account name is Officer Phillip Davis.

News release from the City of Pelham about the fund for Officer Davis' family

Officer Davis was murdered in the act of keeping the rest of us safe. The fact that he volunteered for this responsibility doesn't make the benefit of his service any less real. While nothing we can do retroactively will bring him (or his fallen comrades) back, we can take an extra minute this holiday season to show our gratitude to the police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers who work to ensure our safety--on the roadways, at the store, and in our homes.

Concerns of Police Survivors: (COPS)

The National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund