Part 1 of a 2-part series.
This Great American Warrior article is brought to you by our partner, philanthropist, and LEO supporter Trudy Jacobson.
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Sandy is the epitome of what a police spouse should be. She arranged countless social events for her police officer husband and his fellow officers, baked cookies for patrolmen almost every night, and became an ear to other cop spouses to help them overcome personally difficult times.
But her service to the law enforcement profession didn’t stop there.
She went on to become a writer and editor for The Police Tribune, managed the Blue Lives Matter social media accounts, and became a national voice for law enforcement. She covered countless topics supporting police officers during the turbulent times following the defund-the-police era.
At a time when the police desperately needed support, Sandy Malone was there.
But long before the defund-the-police era, Sandy was a cop spouse - and she mastered the role.
And it started with the little things.
“I was in my mid-twenties, and my girlfriends and I would come by roll call. We would show up with dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts and hang Krispy Kreme balloons outside of the substation to let the other cops know. It was great,” Sandy told LET in an exclusive interview.
Sandy and her friends would organize BBQs for the officers on duty. They also made fresh cookies and made sure everyone got their share.
“I bought these little milk jugs, and I gave the cookies to the sergeants in bags. I’m like ‘You guys deliver these to your remote guys when you see them,” Sandy said.
Sandy went from being one of the ladies dating a cop while supporting the department to one of the most well-known cop spouses in the entire DC area. However, with all her and her husband’s notoriety came risks and dangers.
“We were really visible because my husband had a take-home car as the district commander. Cops stopped by our house all the time for cookies,” she said.
Although most of the residents in her neighborhood knew them and socialized together, not everyone was happy.
One night, Sandy was home alone, and while the evening seemed normal, everything changed in an instant.
“I was in my office upstairs, and I went back to my computer, and I heard gunshots outside! Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s here!’” she said. “When I looked out of the window, I saw a shotgun flash because they were shooting at our house!”
Thankfully, no one was shot or hurt. Only property damage was caused by the seemingly endless hail of bullets aimed at Sandy’s home.
After a full investigation of the incident, the suspects were eventually apprehended, charged, and convicted. But it was way bigger than the shooting at Sandy’s home.
It was part of a violent and sophisticated gang – the Taft Terrace Crew.
“It turned out it was a gang that had formed in my neighborhood in the past couple of years. The investigators matched one of the bullets to 13 murders in the city. They ended up jailing and putting away 87 members of the Taft Terrace Crew,” Sandy said.
Trudy Jacobson, philanthropist and LEO supporter, added, "Living through something like that is a life-changing experience. Thank God she was not injured or, worse, killed."
Sandy’s Cop Spouse Advice
Sandy has learned what it means to be an effective, productive, and happy cop spouse. Although she never proclaimed to be an expert or mistake-free, she carries with her timeless wisdom for other cop spouses.
“Don’t accept the ‘Nothing happened at work today’ speech. They’re cops. A million things happen at work every day, and they’re not telling you because they don’t want you to worry - they don’t want to upset you. But cops don’t get that we worry if we don’t know what’s going on. So, it’s very important from the beginning to establish an open communication,” Sandy said.
But she warns that communication has its limitations, too. With technology quickly growing, it’s becoming easier to communicate. And with law enforcement, anyone can get a scanner and listen to police activity.
“Don’t listen to the scanners. Don’t listen to these apps. You will make yourself crazy. You don’t understand what’s really going on at a scene. It’s just a great way to mind f*** yourself,” Sandy warns.
She continued, “I advise young cop wives to be interested, get involved. If you’ve got a wives' club, go to the picnics and get to know everybody. I recommend you support your spouse’s career 100%.”
Sandy also understands the importance of balance. Police officers often work long, odd hours, and it’s easy to overlook the home life. A balance between the cop, the spouse, and the family is essential to well-being.
Trudy added, "Having the support of your spouse is essential to balance and harmony within the family dynamic. An open line of communication is healthy and productive."
Stay Tuned
After Sandy’s harrowing experience of getting shot at, she and her husband retired and moved to Puerto Rico to start fresh.
However, it wasn’t a decision designed to get away from the law enforcement lifestyle. It was the opposite – to continue advocating for and supporting police officers.
In the next part of this series, we dive deeper into Sandy’s experiences in Puerto Rico and how she continued to support law enforcement there and throughout the country.
We’ll also get into how she ended up starring in reality television and her upcoming book series.
If you want to learn more about Sandy Malone, follow her on @Instagram, Facebook, and X(Twitter). And to check out her upcoming book trilogy, visit her website at https://sandymalone.com/
To learn more about Trudy Jacobson and her support of female first responders, veterans, and entrepreneurs, go to www.TrudyJacobson.com
Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the apparel and supply company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
This Great American Warrior article is brought to you by our partner, philanthropist, and LEO supporter Trudy Jacobson.
--
Sandy is the epitome of what a police spouse should be. She arranged countless social events for her police officer husband and his fellow officers, baked cookies for patrolmen almost every night, and became an ear to other cop spouses to help them overcome personally difficult times.
But her service to the law enforcement profession didn’t stop there.
She went on to become a writer and editor for The Police Tribune, managed the Blue Lives Matter social media accounts, and became a national voice for law enforcement. She covered countless topics supporting police officers during the turbulent times following the defund-the-police era.
At a time when the police desperately needed support, Sandy Malone was there.
But long before the defund-the-police era, Sandy was a cop spouse - and she mastered the role.
And it started with the little things.
“I was in my mid-twenties, and my girlfriends and I would come by roll call. We would show up with dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts and hang Krispy Kreme balloons outside of the substation to let the other cops know. It was great,” Sandy told LET in an exclusive interview.
Sandy and her friends would organize BBQs for the officers on duty. They also made fresh cookies and made sure everyone got their share.
“I bought these little milk jugs, and I gave the cookies to the sergeants in bags. I’m like ‘You guys deliver these to your remote guys when you see them,” Sandy said.
Sandy went from being one of the ladies dating a cop while supporting the department to one of the most well-known cop spouses in the entire DC area. However, with all her and her husband’s notoriety came risks and dangers.
“We were really visible because my husband had a take-home car as the district commander. Cops stopped by our house all the time for cookies,” she said.
Although most of the residents in her neighborhood knew them and socialized together, not everyone was happy.
One night, Sandy was home alone, and while the evening seemed normal, everything changed in an instant.
“I was in my office upstairs, and I went back to my computer, and I heard gunshots outside! Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s here!’” she said. “When I looked out of the window, I saw a shotgun flash because they were shooting at our house!”
Thankfully, no one was shot or hurt. Only property damage was caused by the seemingly endless hail of bullets aimed at Sandy’s home.
After a full investigation of the incident, the suspects were eventually apprehended, charged, and convicted. But it was way bigger than the shooting at Sandy’s home.
It was part of a violent and sophisticated gang – the Taft Terrace Crew.
“It turned out it was a gang that had formed in my neighborhood in the past couple of years. The investigators matched one of the bullets to 13 murders in the city. They ended up jailing and putting away 87 members of the Taft Terrace Crew,” Sandy said.
Trudy Jacobson, philanthropist and LEO supporter, added, "Living through something like that is a life-changing experience. Thank God she was not injured or, worse, killed."
Sandy’s Cop Spouse Advice
Sandy has learned what it means to be an effective, productive, and happy cop spouse. Although she never proclaimed to be an expert or mistake-free, she carries with her timeless wisdom for other cop spouses.
“Don’t accept the ‘Nothing happened at work today’ speech. They’re cops. A million things happen at work every day, and they’re not telling you because they don’t want you to worry - they don’t want to upset you. But cops don’t get that we worry if we don’t know what’s going on. So, it’s very important from the beginning to establish an open communication,” Sandy said.
But she warns that communication has its limitations, too. With technology quickly growing, it’s becoming easier to communicate. And with law enforcement, anyone can get a scanner and listen to police activity.
“Don’t listen to the scanners. Don’t listen to these apps. You will make yourself crazy. You don’t understand what’s really going on at a scene. It’s just a great way to mind f*** yourself,” Sandy warns.
She continued, “I advise young cop wives to be interested, get involved. If you’ve got a wives' club, go to the picnics and get to know everybody. I recommend you support your spouse’s career 100%.”
Sandy also understands the importance of balance. Police officers often work long, odd hours, and it’s easy to overlook the home life. A balance between the cop, the spouse, and the family is essential to well-being.
Trudy added, "Having the support of your spouse is essential to balance and harmony within the family dynamic. An open line of communication is healthy and productive."
Stay Tuned
After Sandy’s harrowing experience of getting shot at, she and her husband retired and moved to Puerto Rico to start fresh.
However, it wasn’t a decision designed to get away from the law enforcement lifestyle. It was the opposite – to continue advocating for and supporting police officers.
In the next part of this series, we dive deeper into Sandy’s experiences in Puerto Rico and how she continued to support law enforcement there and throughout the country.
We’ll also get into how she ended up starring in reality television and her upcoming book series.
If you want to learn more about Sandy Malone, follow her on @Instagram, Facebook, and X(Twitter). And to check out her upcoming book trilogy, visit her website at https://sandymalone.com/
To learn more about Trudy Jacobson and her support of female first responders, veterans, and entrepreneurs, go to www.TrudyJacobson.com
Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the apparel and supply company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
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The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
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