Badges: A Hans Luden Story

Chapter 1

Officer Ron Smith of the Boston Police Department was a straightforward man. He lived in Charlestown with his wife, Beth, and their two children, Michael and Susan, who were six and four years old, respectively. Ron was a dedicated officer with six years of service in the department. When he wasn't working, he enjoyed hunting and fishing with friends in Maine and New Hampshire, and during the winter months, he loved snowmobiling. He looked forward to teaching his kids about the outdoors, just as his father had done for him.

Ron wasn’t fond of all the minorities living in Boston, but his sense of fairness and duty usually overrode any prejudices lurking beneath the surface. Ron was aware that minorities in the city didn’t always receive a fair shake, but he couldn’t control that, and he did his best to do the job to the best of his ability. He was a hard worker who took pride in being a police officer and wanted to earn his salary, rather than collect a paycheck.

His wife worked at a local daycare in the neighborhood. Though her job didn’t pay much, she adored children, and her kids could attend there for free before starting school. To her, it was a great deal, and she appreciated the staff and the children she worked with.

Ron’s shift for the next few weeks was from midnight to 8:00 A.M in the downtown area. At this point in Boston’s history, the downtown area was far removed from the days of the combat zone, which had many drinking spots and clubs frequented by unsavory characters. The Palace, a dance club, was the site of a shooting about once a month. Those places were all gone now, and officers referred to the downtown area as Disneyland Time.

Old-timers shared stories of nightly fights in the combat zone, and several took up boxing training to deal with the chaos that regularly ensued. Seth O’Brien kept track of his knockouts while on duty, and he spoke about his work as if he were a prize fighter.

for Stephanie Lux