FOP Sends Trailer to Support Delaware County After Deputy’s Death
INDIANAPOLIS — After the death of Delaware County Sheriff’s Corporal Blake Reynolds, Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, announced the deployment of the FOP’s Active Response Kit (ARK) trailer to support the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and nearby agencies.
The ARK trailer, developed over several years, was used for the first time this week. It provided meals and gave officers a place to take breaks.
“This is a project we’ve been working on for a couple of years now,” Snyder said. “It’s been a lot of work this year, but we were finally able to bring it together. And this is our very first deployment of the trailer. We were able to stand alongside our brothers and sisters at the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and from that trailer, we were able to feed hundreds of officers.”
Snyder said the trailer also created a space for officers to share their feelings. “We didn’t just serve food. We provided a space for these officers to gather, tell stories, grieve together, and find a moment of peace in the middle of the storm,” he said.
He also reflected on what officers and community members have said about Reynolds. “He was a bright shining star in that agency,” Snyder said. “From everything I’ve heard, Deputy Reynolds was a hardworking officer who had a bright future ahead of him. He was not just a great officer, but a great person who cared deeply about his community and his fellow officers. He’s the kind of officer who represents the best of us in law enforcement.”
Snyder then spoke about highway safety and traffic enforcement, noting that fewer officers on the road has led to more accidents and fatalities. “You know, we see a lot of traffic fatalities, even in our capital city, pedestrian fatalities of folks being struck by motor vehicles. But also a tremendous amount of crashes and hit-and-run crashes. Especially, a lot of times, what we see throughout not just central Indiana, but across the state, are lower levels of traffic enforcement due to officer shortages that are occurring,” Snyder said. “And quite frankly, the regular drive of trying to police the police in what they do. You know, traffic enforcement is one of the best prevention tools for traffic fatalities.”
Snyder said the FOP’s Active Response Kit trailer will stay in Delaware County through Friday to help the community and law enforcement recover from the tragedy. He added that the trailer was made possible with support from Dellen Automotive Group and Lucas Oil.
