The city of Savannah, GA is a less safe. Sergeant Kelvin Ansari was murdered while protecting our city. He was responding to a robery call and he and a fellow officer (Officer Douglas Thomas) were gunned down as they were investigating the scene.
Sergeant Ansari was a 10 year veteran of the Savannah Police Department and a 21 year veteran of the US Army. He was a husband and a father to 4 children ages 5 to 25.
The only professions where people go to work everyday knowing that they have the potential to lose their life are soldiers and police. Officer Ansari was both.
His death was senseless. We read about it in the news and grieve, but I think people need to think about things more deeply to have an appreciation for the tremendous sacrifice that individuals like Sergeant Ansari make.
The traumatic ripples extend far beyond what people tend to imagine. There is his wife and his four (4) children that won’t have their husband and father ever come home.
Sergeant Ansari was a supervisor in the police department. You now have all of the individuals under his supervision and guidance that are now deprived of that leadership. Leadership and guidance that was developed in 21 years of brave service to our country and for 10 years in the Savannah Police Department.
The trauma of losing a friend, supervisor, and colleague is unimaginable. In any other setting there would likely be a period of mourning, a break, or something. Unfortunately, Sergeant Ansari’s colleagues in the Savannah Police Department don’t have that luxury. Nor do any police department or combat unit. They have to continue to put their lives on the line to keep people like you and me safe.
As we mourn Sergeant Ansari, I hope that we are able to develop a deeper understanding of his selfless service. As I stated before, soldiers and law enforcement go to work every day with the understanding that they will not get to come back home. This country is getting better with addressing mental health issues, but I think that we still take our soldiers, veterans, and law enforcement officers for granted.
I pray for Sergeant Ansari’s family and am grateful to them for their support of him in his job. I pray for the Savannah Police Department and am grateful for the protection that they continue to provide, regardless of their tremendous loss.
Lastly, I want to say thank you Sergeant Ansari.