Joe David has finished his mission. David has spent 18 months implementing and actively operating a Drug Interdiction Initiative, a grass-roots campaign to eradicate illegal drugs from Goodman.
In his position as assistant police chief, David wrote the program, gained approval, and then worked to drive out as many drug houses as he could. He launched the initiative in July 2017, wrapping up the campaign in January of this year. Since the program's start, David significantly snuffed out a great deal of illegal drug activity. He estimates activity has dropped by 87 percent.
The DII primarily focused on approximately 16 known drug houses that were active "trap" houses. For unknown reasons, David was not able to secure assistance, except for a Missouri Highway patrolman who would help when he was available, he said.
Though the work was difficult and the amount of pushback sometimes surprising, David said he feels that his mission is complete.
How does he relax now? "By leaving Goodman," he said.
Humble beginnings and endings
David was raised on a farm in Kansas, primarily by his grandpa and grandma, who instilled in him the desire to help the less fortunate and to take a stand against bullies.
When he thinks of his grandparents and the influence they had on him, he pauses. His eyes fill with tears.
"They taught me to always learn from the mistakes I make, to be a God-seeker, and to strive to default to humility," he said. "It's the things they taught me that help me to push forward through the adversity I've faced."
Through the DII he designed and implemented, David consistently focused on three principles: perception, tenacity and surveillance. Those elements helped him gain success in reducing drug use and sales.
Success was high in January when David wrapped up the campaign. In the initial 16 houses pinpointed, four high-profile houses remained on the list. At this time, two of those houses are no longer active; two have dropped from a high-profile status to a medium-profile status, he said.
Today, David focuses on identifying and quickly addressing any new activity. "It's an ebb and flow," he said.
David first came to the Goodman Police Department in November 2016 as a part-time reserve officer. A good friend introduced him to Goodman Police Chief Curt Drake in June 2016. The friend told David that Drake said he was in need of "some good help."
After meeting Drake, David began doing ride alongs and Drake shared his goals and concerns about the tight-knit, small community. David joined the department that fall. A few months later, on a muggy April night, he found himself in a terrible situation. A tornado hit Goodman.
"I initially thought I might die here," he said.
As he was driving northbound on School Street, following an old ice cream van, and a pickup truck a little way behind him, the wind began to suddenly swirl. In seconds, he watched in astonishment as a tornado dropped down on him and the nearby Goodman Elementary School. The school seemed to explode as the tornado struck and debris started flying everywhere. The tornado picked up the back of the ice cream van for a few moments and then it slammed down hard. The truck behind him lifted up and was also slammed back down to the ground.
A huge debris field surrounded his car. He analyzed the direction of the debris field and gunned his car. He quickly put his car in the front of a duplex structure off to his left, to use as a shield from all of the flying debris. Suddenly, everything stopped and went calm, he said.
"I believe it was the grace of God that I was not killed or injured," he said.
Afterward, he surveyed the damage.
The man driving the ice cream truck was bleeding from the face as he ran up to David's patrol unit. The truck full of children were very scared and shook up. He loaded up the bleeding man and then drove over to the truck and told the kids to pile in his car. Fearing another tornado strike, David acted quickly and transported everyone to the Goodman Emergency Management office, where he asked the director to watch after them as he made another trip back for more folks.
After that, people wanting to help began asking David for direction. He began to organize teams, telling people to break into smaller groups to start searching homes for injured people.
Soon after this, David was promoted to full-time status. He launched his DII in July 2017 and was promoted to assistant police chief in September.
In conducting his DII program, he found, from the start, that he wasn't always the popular one. Though his efforts were highly successful, David said he didn't receive much support from others, the community or area law enforcement officers.
"I have sadly seen the reality of just how often law enforcement cannibalizes its own, especially via slander and malicious gossip," he said. "I find it very disheartening that so many officers gossip about, and maliciously slander, other officers because of low self-esteem or jealousy issues based on wrong perceptions and false information."
An open door
In his time off from work, David doesn't fish, hunt or golf. Rather, he works out daily, is constantly trying to self-educate himself and attempt to stay somewhat fluent in Spanish.
His friend, Pastor "Cawtinkie" of Anderson, recently has had a profound impact on his life. His time away from the office is usually laced with biblical studies, while strategizing for job efficiency.
During his time in his position, he's made huge changes at the office by adding weight-lifting equipment, upgrading entry doors, adding a reserve officer station, writing a department FTO program and reserve officer handbook, implementing a new hire vetting process, and providing a better maintenance program for patrol vehicles.
His main gig -- fighting drug use in Goodman -- has not been easy. The road to success has been rocky, working through an extreme amount of adversity that he didn't anticipate.
When he thinks about how hard success has been, he thinks of his grandpa and the simple principles he taught.
"He was a man who never did anything great or significant in life, but he was such a good man to everybody he came in contact with. The county he lived in named a road in honor of him after he died."
David believes his adventurous spirit will likely lead him to the next stage of his professional life.
"I am going to go through any door that God is opening for me, whether it's law enforcement or not."
He hopes the way he treats others is reflected in his work.
"My relationship with Jesus Christ is what keeps me going no matter the odds, and I can only give Him the credit for any success I've had in Goodman."
General News on 06/13/2019