DES MOINES, Iowa — After the death of Prairie City Police Chief Michael German, two advocacy organizations are helping his family with housing expenses.
Chaplin Ron Leonard and his dog Molly volunteer with both groups: Tunnel to Towers and Humanizing the Badge.
"Our desire is to be able to identify people who have lost an officer in the line of duty," Leonard said. "We can work with their families, their children have to be 16 years and under, but we could work with their families, and try to pay off their mortgages."
Leonard recalled hearing of German's story and knowing his organizations—and his furry friend, Molly—could lend the family some paws.
"Recently, they paid off the mortgage of [German] out there in Des Moines, and they're working on a few others right now," Leonard said.
Chad Allager was the mayor of Prairie City during the bulk of German's time of service. He feels there is now a void only German could fill.
"There's just this emptiness, when you walk in the building, you know, he just had this way to like, just fill a room," Allager said. "They say people have that it factor. And he had that it factor, he just had it."
Allager said German was community-oriented and had plans to connect the community with law enforcement.
"He wanted to start 'pop with a cop.' So he wanted to have something where during, you know, an afternoon, he would sit down... Unfortunately, that never happened," Allager said. "So hopefully, you know, maybe our current chief will... carry that torch and want to... have that pop with a cop."
Leonard said both the organizations have helped the families of fallen officers and officers still serving.
"I think Tunnel to Towers paid off over 30 mortgages," Chaplin said.
Humanizing the Badge has prepared goodie bags for the families of 2,500 fallen officers across the country.
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