LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As officers from around the country said goodbye to LMPD Det. Deidre Mengedoht on Monday, one of Kentucky’s largest law enforcement agencies stepped in to help.
More than a dozen Kentucky State Police troopers arrived Monday at the Second Division LMPD station at 7 p.m. to work the shifts of the officers who usually patrol the division’s streets.
“It is just a chance for them, out of respect for her, to enjoy time with their families, get some needed rest, get some needed down time,” said Trooper Steven Dykes, who was friends with Mengedoht for 12 years.
Dykes’ wife is an LMPD officer and worked with Mengedoht years ago at Lowe’s when both were in college. “I think Deidre was a big part of my wife’s inspiration to become a Louisville Metro Police officer,” Dykes said.
The KSP troopers were paired up both Sunday and Monday night for the 12-hour shifts. The Second Division is not as rural as the troopers are used to. Many of them haven’t worked the streets in years but wanted to help.
“We normally patrol rural areas," Trooper Scotty Sharp. "It’s just a little bit safer. One can kind of navigate while the other watches the road and pays attention."
For everyone who left the building after roll call, Monday night would be a time to not only remember Mengedoht but also remind them they are all one big family.
“She was a very happy, just a delight, and she brought that to policing," Dykes said. "And that is something we need in this world."
More than two dozen LMPD officers from other Louisville divisions also gathered to work in the Second Division on Sunday and Monday night.
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