OUR NEXT
SPEAKER IS
COLONEL
ROBERT L. QUINN, OF THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE STATE POLICE.
HEATHER, KIM, LAUREN,
DAVID,
JEFF, AND MR. AND MRS. TIMOTHY
ARKELL,
AND THE ENTIRE ARKELL
FAMILY SEATED HERE TODAY, CHIEF,
BRENTWOOD POLICE OFFICERS, YOU
ARE SURROUNDED BY POLICE
OFFICERS FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
YOUR FRIENDS.
YOUR TEAMMATES.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY.
A COMMUNITY THAT MEANT SO MUCH
TO OFFICER STEPHEN ARKELL HELL.
I AM HONORED TO STAND HERE TODAY
WITH MY FELLOW OFFICERS.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS TO EACH
OF YOU MY SINCERE
CONDOLENCES
FOR YOUR INCONCEIVABLE LOSS.
WHILE STEVE IS AT PEACE,
EACH OF
YOU HAVE TO CARRY ON AND TRY TO
FIND MEANING IN THIS TRAGEDY.
WE HAVE COME TOGETHER, NOT
BECAUSE OF HOW STEVE DIED, BUT
BECAUSE OF HOW HE LIVED HIS
LIFE.
WE HAVE COME TO HONOR
NOT ONLY A
BROTHER OFFICER, BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY
, A GOOD SON.
LOVING HUSBAND.
FATHER.
BROTHER.
MASTER CARPENTER.
COACH.
MENTOR.
TEACHER.
LOYAL FRIENDS.
WHILE HE EXCELLED AT EACH OF
THESE, CLEARLY WHAT MEANT MOST
TO TO STEVE WAS FAMILY FIRST AND
BEING A MEMBER AND MAKING A
DIFFERENCE IN HIS COMMUNITY.
HE LEARNED THAT AT AN EARLY AGE.
HE LEARNED THAT FROM HIS FATHER.
STEVE WAS
CLEARLY A PERFECT FIT
WORKING WITH BRENTWOOD POLICE.
I KNOW YOU ALL TRIED YOUR BEST.
DEREK, I CAN ONLY HOPE I WOULD
DO WHAT YOU DID.
BUT THERE WAS NOTHING ANYONE
COULD DO.
I KNOW YOU HAVE NEVER LEFT HIM
AND YOU WILL NEVER FORGET HIM.
YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE MY UTMOST
RESPECT AND MY UNWAVERING
SUPPORT.
WHILE STEVE WAS A POLICE OFFICER
IN A SMALL TOWN, HE WENT TO WORK
WITH UNRIVALED DEDICATION,
COMPASSION, SENSITIVITY, MORAL
FIBER, AND ROCKSOLID INTEGRITY.
SMALL TOWNS CAN SOMETIMES REVIVE
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT HAVE
TO BE FACED ALONE BY A POLICE
OFFICER.
SMALL
TOWN POLICE OFFICERS HAVE
TO DEAL WITH EVERY CRISIS THAT
CAN BE IMAGINED.
THEY HAVE TO BE SPECIALISTS AT
ALL.
THEY HAVE TO RESOLVE DISPUTES.
TALK TO PEOPLE IN CRISIS.
RESPOND TO NEIGHBORING
COMMUNITIES.
RECOGNIZE AND EXPLOSIVES CALL.
A POTENTIAL HOMICIDE. LOCATE
AND
BRING A LOSS TO.COM.
TALK TO PARENTS AND CHILDREN.
MORE OFTEN THEY DO WHAT EVER
IMAGINED
TO INSPIRE INDIVIDUALS.
OFFICER ARKELL WANTED TO KNOW
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO
BE AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND
WAS RELIED ON FOR HIS SKILL
THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT
SOMEONE MAY
THINK IS AN IMPORTANT UNLESS YOU
HAVE LOST A PET OR COME ACROSS
AN ENRAGED ANIMAL AND SIMPLY DO
NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.
HE WAS SKILLED WITH CANINE
TRAPS
.
WHILE WE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND
WHY HIS LIFE WAS CUT SHORT BY A
SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE, BUT
WE CAN BE SURE HE HANDLED THIS
CALL THE WAY HE HANDLED HIS
ENTIRE LIFE.
HE WORKED HARD THAT DAY.
HE WENT TO WORK THE NIGHT
SHIFT.
HIS BROTHER JEFF HAD FINISHED UP
A JOB AND SAID "I'LL SEE YOU
TOMORROW."
OFFICER ARKELL TOOK HIS CALL FOR
SERVICE
, AND WHILE HE COULD HAVE
WAITED FOR HELP, HE WENT INTO
THE HOME ALONE.
HE COMPLETED WHAT HE SET OUT TO
DO.
I HAVE STOOD
WITH HUNDREDS OF
POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS
IN BRENTWOOD WHO CAME FROM
NEIGHBORING TOWNS ACROSS THE
STATE TO HELP STEVE.
I KNOW HOW EACH OF YOU TRIED AND
I SEE THE PAIN IN YOUR EYES.
BUT THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE
COULD DO.
STEVE HAD DONE IT ALL.
HE TRIED TO HELP, AND IN DOING
SO, HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AND
SAVED COUNTLESS OFFICERS.
THIS POLICE OFFICER FROM A SMALL
TOWN ALLOWED EACH OF US TO GO
HOME.
HE SACRIFICED HIS TOMORROW SO WE
WOULD HAVE OURS.
THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS
THIS GRATITUDE TO A FELLOW
POLICE OFFICER.
THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS
HOW WE FEEL TO EACH OF YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
ONE MORE TITLE I BELIEVE STEVE
EARNED LONG BEFORE HIS ACT OF
TERROR WAS HIM IN BRENTWOOD.
HERO.
WHILE IT IS CLEAR HE GAVE HIS
ALL EACH AND EVERY DAY, I WANT
TO THANK JEFF FOR HIS STRENGTH
AND TIME IN SHARING THIS WITH
ME.
WELL STEVE GRADUATED FROM UNH
WITH A COMMUNICATIONS DEGREE AND
WHILE HIS SUPERIOR
COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS WERE
HALLMARKS, HE CHOSE CONSTRUCTION
AS A CAREER, LEARNING HIS TRADE
FROM A LOCAL BUILDER AND
REFINING HIS SKILLS OVER THE
YEARS.
HE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS
TRADE THAT PROVIDED FOR HIS
FAMILY AND ALLOWED HIM TO WORK
IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MEANT SO
MUCH TO THEM.
HE ENJOYED SEEING
PEOPLE HAPPY.
HE ENJOYED SEEING A JOB
COMPLETE.
HE WOULD TALK CUSTOMERS OUT OF
WORK AND DOWNSIZE THEIR JOBS
BECAUSE HE FIRMLY BELIEVED IT
WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THAT WAS THE TYPE OF MAN WE
HONOR HERE TODAY.
STEVE RELIED HEAVILY ON HIS OWN
FAMILY TO GET HIS BUSINESS UP
AND RUNNING AND WORKED WITH EACH
OF THEM OVER THE YEAR.
STEVE ENJOYED AND LOOK FORWARD
TO HUNTING AND FISHING WITH HIS
FATHER AND HIS BROTHERS.
WHILE SPEAKING WITH JEFF, IT WAS
CLEAR THAT STEVE WAS ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH THE HARDEST THING IN
LIFE, BECOMING A
POLICE OFFICER
WITH A FAMILY.
STEVE WAS ABLE TO FIND A BALANCE
BETWEEN WORK AND HIS FAMILY.
STEVE WAS ABLE TO DO
WHAT SO
MANY OF US CAN'T.
HE KNEW WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PUT
THE TOOL BELT DOWN AND PUT ON
HIS POLICE BELLS.
HE KNEW HE WOULD FINISH THE JOB.
WELL WE ALL
-- WHILE WE HAVE ALL
LEARNED OF HIS SUCCESSES IN
LACROSSE, I LEARNED WHEN KIM
STARTED PLAYING LITTLE LEAGUE
BASEBALL WITH THE BOYS AND
DECIDED TO LEARN LACROSSE, STEVE
WAS AFRAID BECAUSE HE DID NOT
KNOW THE GAME.
WHO TOOK CLASSES TO BECOME A
CERTIFIED LACROSSE COACH.
HIS WORLD REVOLVED AROUND HIS
DAUGHTERS.
THEY DROVE EVERY SUNDAY FROM
BRENTWOOD TO THE GRANITE STATE
ON WEEKENDS FOR PRACTICE.
THEY DROVE AS FAR AS WASHINGTON
AND PENNSYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA
FOR TOURNAMENT'S.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL STEVE HAS
ACCOMPLISHED, THERE WAS NOT ONE
THING THAT DEFINED
HIM,, OR ONE
THING FOR WHICH HE WILL BE
REMEMBERED.
IT WAS FOR ALL HE
DID.
THIS POLICE OFFICER AND
MASTER
CARPENTER THAT DID SO MUCH FOR
SO MANY COULD NOT FIND THE TIME
TO DO THE WORK ON HIS OWN
HOME.
WORKING TWO JOBS HAD SIMPLY
GOTTEN IN THE WAY.
IT IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW HE
LIVED HIS LIFE AND HOW HE HAD
HIS
-- TO TRULY LEARN FROM HIS
LIFE, WE NEED TO ALL GO BACK TO
OUR OWN LIVES AND LEARN FROM
THESE STANDARDS OFFICERS STEVE
ARKELL SET AS A POLICE OFFICER,
FATHER, AND MEMBER OF HIS
COMMUNITY.
LIVE EACH DAY, NEVER TAKING
TOMORROW FOR GRANTED.
WHILE NONE OF US CAN MEASURE
YOUR PAIN, I KNOW YOU ARE A
STRONG FAMILY.
I KNOW YOU ARE A STRONG POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
AND HE WOULD WANT YOU TO GO ON
WITH YOUR LIVES AND LIVE THEM TO
THE FULLEST AND BE HAPPY.
WE ALL WANT THE SAME.
HEATHER, YOUR HUSBAND,
THE
FATHER OF YOUR CHILDREN WAS
THERE FOR US AND NEW HAMPSHIRE
OH LAW AND -- NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW
ENFORCEMENT WILL ALWAYS BE FOR
YOU.
KIM AND
LAUREN WE WISH YOU THE
VERY BEST IN LIFE AND I HAVE NO
DOUBTS YOU WILL FULFILL YOUR
DREAMS OF BECOMING AN EXERCISE
PHYSIOLOGIST AND A DOCTOR.
AND BY FULFILLING YOUR DREAMS
,
YOU WILL FINISH THE MOST
IMPORTANT JOB YOUR DAD EVER
STARTED.
ON BEHALF
OF THE ENTIRE LAW
ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY THAT HAS