BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on, even the police. The Bowling Green Police Department not only takes care of its own people, but inspires others as well.
It started around 2018 when Detective Sergeant Clifton Phelps decided to make some changes in his lifestyle. Phelps said after he was involved in a shooting, followed by another the following year, and on top of the daily pressures of being a police officer, negativity began to weigh on him, which negatively affected his family.
He began doing things like meditation and taking cold baths, but perhaps the most impactful action he took was sharing his story on social media, which helped other officers feel less alone.
Cindy Lemon, a psychiatric nurse and wife of a retired BGPD detective, eventually became a key part of the team as well, initially as a deputy but shortly before the tornadoes in December 2021 as a representative of the BGPD chief. After the storms, the idea was more needed than ever as first responders saw horrific things. Since then, the support group has been a huge success.
Phelps said he and other officials would meet at Lemon Ranch, the home of Cindy and her husband Mike, and do breathing exercises, ice baths and meditation exercises.
Phelps and Lemon said a real culture change has come about without the support of the administration, since just a few years ago law enforcement was not a place where people could vent their problems.
