[in justice]
[in justice]
THE COP by Dan Donlin In 1988, I began my law enforcement career as a police officer with the Bismarck Police Department. During my career, I was involved in making hundreds of arrests. I cannot begin to remember the names of every individual I was involved in arresting; however, during an officer’s career, some names just stick with you. During my years working on patrol and as a detective, “Tyler Auck” was one of those names forever embedded in my mind. Any time I heard the name “Tyler Auck,” my immediate thoughts were— and I emphasize the terms were—burglar, thief, drug user, fighter . . . criminal foe! While I was progressing on a very blessed and successful law enforcement career path, Tyler was progressing down a wicked path of drug and alcohol abuse as well as frequent criminal activity. Tyler’s first arrest was at age 10, his first assault at age 15, his first DUI at age 16, and his first felony arrest at age 17. Ultimately, with our agency alone in a twenty-oneyear period (age 10 to 31), this kid was a suspect in twenty reported cases and was arrested ten times. I would never forget the name “Tyler Auck.” He was definitely headed on the path to prison, or death.
THE COP AND THE CRIMINAL AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP By Dan Donlin & Tyler Auck
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Fast forward to 2015; I was serving in my twentyseventh year of law enforcement and was now the chief of police of the Bismarck Police Department. I had not heard nor even thought of the name “Tyler Auck” since probably about 1998—roughly seventeen years. On September 12, 2015, I attended an early morning event called “March into the Light.” This was a public walk hosted by various entities involved in drug and alcohol addiction/treatment during National Recovery Month. I have a lot of empathy for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, and I wanted to show the addiction community that I, and the police, support them in their battle. I don’t remember exactly how, but all of a sudden, out of the darkness of the morning, within the crowd
of participants, I heard someone mention the name “Tyler Auck.” I had not seen Tyler for a very long time and was very unsure of what Tyler would think if, or when, he found out I was among the people there. Well, we were able to meet face to face. I saw him pushing a small child in a stroller, and we shook hands. I was a little hesitant as to what to say to him, but he immediately apologized to me for all the havoc he had created for the police in his past. I told him, “Hey, that’s okay, we all make mistakes.” He went on to briefly tell me about his recovery and his recent life. All I could think was, “WOW! What a turnaround this guy has made,” and I was very happy for him. We participated in the event and parted ways; I wished him good luck. Since this chance meeting, Tyler and I have become good friends and partners in educating and working with the community on drug and alcohol addiction issues. I have witnessed Tyler on statewide addiction panels and committees, and he is not afraid to tell his story. I have learned of the personal horror this “kid” has gone through in his lifetime, including the extreme challenge it is to battle addiction, get sober, and maintain his recovery. If anybody has an excuse to do drugs and alcohol for self-medicinal purposes— to forget the pain—Tyler has it! But Tyler has made the choice to fight the fight and maintain his sobriety in a healthy recovery. He has told me many times, “I just want to right the wrongs I did in my past.” The past, as horrific as it is for Tyler, has made him who he is today; a husband, a father, a family man, a man fighting to stay in a healthy sobriety. A man working a full-time job, raising a family, and attending college to obtain his degree to become a licensed addiction counselor—and he is now interning as an addiction counselor at one of the top treatment facilities in the Upper Midwest. Today, Tyler and I will meet for coffee and talk about old times, drugs and alcohol, addiction issues, our families, and what lies ahead in our futures. We laugh when he says, “I can’t believe I have the police chief’s personal cell phone number.” He invited my family to
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