Cotati Heart and Soul by Deborah Taylor-French - April 2017

This issue’s theme is family. To some, it may seem unusual to consider police officers family, but not to me. Growing up in Northern California, I had an uncle who worked as a police officer for the City of Redding. Our uncle,

If you have never met Officer Kaupe, he is a likeable man with a big smile who has been a faithful community police officer for 12 years. I recently chatted up Kaupe at Pete’s Coffee while he hosted a Coffee with a Cop. For forty minutes the officers took our questions as Kaupe continued to greet people entering. He warmly offered each a complimentary coffee. No sales pitch or explanation. “Hello, would you like a free coffee?” His partner seemed to be enjoying Kaupe’s brilliant smile and enthusiastic 7AM greeting.

I happened to be nearby when Officer Kaupe gave an angry teenager advice about keeping choices and privileges. He showed a dose of Irish fire and passion for family unity. He defined the values of respect, kindness, etc. and spoke to raise respect for personal boundaries. Making it clear that freedom required the learning of self-control. In the time I listened, although he spoke with authority, he did not denigrate the individual teen. He kept offering a choice of self-governance as opposed of being sent to an institution to be controlled. Wouldn’t we all like that kind and fair honesty for ourselves and for our children?

When I praised Office Kaupe for his past service as a K9 officer and mentioned the demonstrations he conducted with his canine partner Koda, he said, “My pleasure.” Canine officers make a commitment far beyond a 9-to-5 job. They experience hours of intense training with their new partners. It’s a rewarding investment of time, energy, and hard work. Koda learned a similar love of duty and engagement from his human partner. Watching them work together was a joy. They demonstrated not only obedience skills but also commands and behaviors for locating illegal substances. Officer Kaupe would always reward his partner with a strong pull toy which they would play toss and catch or tug. Koda completed each command, and then sitting at heel, he adoringly looked up at his master’s face.

Being a dog lover I enjoyed observing Officer Kaupe’s clear body language and precise timing of commands. Great fun to witness Koda’s rapid responses. One year I asked a question at the end of the demonstration and got this response “We have bonded over years of intensive training camps. Canine school requires extreme commitment and long hours of perfect practice.”

Officer Kaupe and Koda were always the stars of the show at the annual Mutt Strut, the Cotati-Rohnert Park Animal Shelter’s fundraiser held at the Rohnert Park community center. Year after year they drew the largest audiences. They educated and entertained the community with family friendly demonstrations. BTW, Koda was taught and given his commands in German.

I would watch the flashes of delight on the faces of the children and the parents as they performed.

Admittedly, I felt sad when he told me he was retiring and moving to a farm in the southern United States. Yet I was happy to hear how thrilled he was at starting a fresh life, moving close to his wife’s family and living on a farm they had purchased. Same good man as Kaupe turns his attention to other skills and new adventures. Surely Cotati’s youth and adults will miss Officer Kaupe for a very long time. So I sincerely say thanks for excellent community service as a beloved peace officer.

Enter a returning young adult looking for a home in Cotati

One afternoon, I walked to feel the sun on my face. A well-dressed young woman with black briefcase was walking up the left lane. We waved hello. Walking away I sensed I had seen her before. We passed again and stopped to chat. Her features are like her mother Lynn’s. Turns out Krista Neary had once lived on Honor Court. At that time, our daughter was the same age as her older sister. Krista Neary had walked into the Hunter’s Ridge neighborhood and was pleased to see the mellow friendly place she knew as a child. Today, Neary works for Edward Jones and is chatting with new investment clients. You may reach her at 707-762-0611. Neary wants an affordable home. Hoping the new project off Old Redwood Highway between Honor Court and Fehler Lane to the west may offer her an affordable first home.