{"id":21763,"date":"2026-03-11T11:44:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/uncategorized\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T06:12:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T06:12:51","slug":"how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my officers tapped me on the arm right after I got off the radio telling the precinct that we\u2019d made a bust. \u201cSarge,\u201d he said, nodding toward the squad car. \u201cThe girl says she knows you.\u201d Yeah, I wanted to say. Right.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in charge of the St. Petersburg, Florida, vice squad, and we\u2019d just busted a drug deal in an alley off Fourth Street, a notorious neighborhood. I was focused on the dealer, not the prostitute we\u2019d caught him selling a rock of crack cocaine to.<\/p>\n

I glanced at her, huddled in the backseat of a squad car. Typical crack addict: pale and thin to the point of emaciation, with short, dirty hair. How did she know me? Had I arrested her before? The officer handed me her driver\u2019s license. The young woman in the picture looked so different\u2014long hair and big brown eyes\u2014I checked the name. Melissa Collora. Age 21. I almost dropped the license. I did know her. When I was a kid, the Colloras lived right next door. This was the little girl I used to babysit.<\/p>\n

I went over to the squad car. \u201cMelissa? What are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her sunken brown eyes were glazed but unmistakable. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d she said, then looked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there anything I can do to help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t get me a rock, just leave me alone,\u201d she snarled.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t ask the question I really wanted to ask. What happened, Melissa, to the girl I used to know?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a man of faith. I try to see the best in people, as I know God does. That\u2019s not easy with a job like mine. I\u2019m a 15-year police veteran<\/a>. The past seven years I\u2019ve run the vice squad. I see the worst that people do to one another\u2014and to themselves\u2014and I deal with some truly hopeless cases. Cases so terrible and heartbreaking I can\u2019t afford to let myself get emotionally involved. I couldn\u2019t imagine that Melissa Collora was one of them.<\/p>\n

I remembered being at the Colloras\u2019 house on steamy summer days when I was 15 or so. Melissa would have been about three. Her brothers and I played football in the yard. Melissa would sit on the swing-set clutching her teddy bear, watching us with those big brown eyes. So sweet. So innocent.<\/p>\n

I remembered her father too. All the boys on our block loved Mr. Collora, a big guy with a great sense of humor. He owned a gas station and an auto lot, and he\u2019d let us kids play around in his jalopies. Then about the time Melissa was eight, Mr. Collora died. I went into the Army shortly after that. I hadn\u2019t seen Melissa or her brothers in the 13 years since.<\/p>\n

I called my mother as soon as I got home that night. \u201cGuess who I arrested today,\u201d I told her. \u201cMelissa Collora.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s terrible, Tim,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d heard she was in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mom filled me in. Mrs. Collora remarried. Melissa\u2019s step-father abused her. In 1993 her mother committed suicide. Melissa went to live with relatives outside New York City. That\u2019s where she discovered crack and life on the street.<\/p>\n

I hung up the phone, depressed. Not because it wasn\u2019t a familiar story. It was. This time, though, I had actually known the girl before her life went wrong. That\u2019s what really hurt.<\/p>\n

The next time Melissa and I crossed paths, she was getting arrested on yet another prostitution charge. \u201cYou see her a lot?\u201d I asked the arresting officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMelissa? She practically owns the corner of Forty-eighth and Fourth. Even wrote her name in the cement to keep the other girls away.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had a black eye and bruises all over her arms. \u201cMelissa, what can I do?\u201d I asked, though hard experience told me not much. I was a vice cop, not some bleeding-heart social worker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you before,\u201d she snapped. \u201cJust leave me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since age 18 Melissa was booked more than a dozen times for drug possession<\/a> and prostitution. Sooner or later she\u2019d rack up enough convictions to send her to state prison for a very long time.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d see her every week, either at the station house or walking the streets. She wouldn\u2019t look me in the eye. Sometimes I ignored her. My cop instincts said she was never going to change. That\u2019s what the streets do to you. I\u2019d seen it a thousand times. The damage starts young. By the time they start taking drugs and selling their bodies, it\u2019s too late. But then I\u2019d think, How can I turn my back on this kid? Invariably, though, Melissa would tell me to get lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat girl\u2019s a lost cause,\u201d the guys on the squad said. \u201cWhy do you keep trying?\u201d But no matter how many times I told myself it was pointless, I kept picturing that wide-eyed little girl in her swing, who\u2019d had her whole life ahead of her.<\/p>\n

One day I gave a presentation about prostitution to a St. Petersburg civic group. One of the slides I used was a booking shot of Melissa. A woman in the audience asked who she was, and I told Melissa\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

The woman came up to me afterward along with a friend. \u201cI\u2019m Linda Cheney, from Praise Cathedral,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is Tracy. We\u2019re looking for a woman to sponsor for the Walter Hoving Home in New York, a recovery program for prostitutes<\/a>. How about Melissa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think she\u2019s your girl,\u201d I said. \u201cMelissa, she doesn\u2019t want to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linda slipped me her card. \u201cCall me if anything changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d I said. \u201cBut I doubt it will.\u201d<\/p>\n

There I was again, the hard-nosed cop.<\/p>\n

I stuck Linda\u2019s card in my desk drawer. I probably would have forgotten about it, except for a few days later. My team cornered a prostitute and her client in a rubble-strewn lot off Forty-eighth Avenue. It was Melissa. I turned and walked away. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Melissa was looking at hard time now. At least 10 years. She was barely in her 20s.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe wants to talk to you,\u201d one of my officers said.<\/p>\n

I walked over slowly and leaned into the window of the squad car. Melissa was hunched over in the backseat, her hands cuffed behind her. I didn\u2019t say anything. Just stood. What was there left to say?<\/p>\n

She stared at her feet. \u201cI think \u2026 ,\u201d she began. She lifted her head. Those big brown eyes looked straight into mine. \u201cI think I need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

My instincts said, don\u2019t trust her. Crackheads use anybody and anything to get what they want. She was in deep and she knew it. She\u2019d say anything. Drugs strip you of your soul. I thought about the first time we\u2019d busted her. She told my guys she knew me. Why? She didn\u2019t have to. Had that been a cry for help? That one part of her the streets hadn\u2019t claimed? Was it enough? \u201cI\u2019ll see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at the precinct, I fished Linda Cheney\u2019s card out of my desk and called her. \u201cI think I found one for you,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019ll take it from here,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n

She called back the next day. \u201cThe Hoving Home will take her,\u201d she said. \u201cMy church will cover the plane tickets and fees. All we need now is the judge\u2019s approval.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll talk to the prosecutor, but don\u2019t get your hopes up,\u201d I warned her. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to convince the judge that Melissa wants to turn over a new leaf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTracy or I will testify,\u201d Linda said. \u201cWe met with Melissa in jail this morning. She told us she\u2019s accepted Jesus. She wants to start a new life. That\u2019s why she asked you for help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t kid yourself, lady, I wanted to say. But I kept my mouth shut. I would have to testify at Melissa\u2019s trial. You don\u2019t lie on the stand. I wasn\u2019t going to say anything I didn\u2019t believe, no matter what Melissa claimed. What if she was sincere, though? Linda and Tracy believed her, but they were church ladies. Turned out the prosecutor was on board. What about me? What did I believe? I wasn\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n

The judge was a real hardliner. He scowled at Melissa as the bailiff led her into the courtroom. He was ready to send her away right then.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Honor,\u201d the prosecutor began, \u201cthe state recommends that Melissa Collora\u2019s sentence be commuted to treatment at the Walter Hoving Home in New York. A church group is willing to sponsor the treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The judge looked incredulous. Tracy took the stand. She spoke of Melissa\u2019s faith conversion and said she believed it was sincere. \u201cWho are we to know what is truly in a person\u2019s heart?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

The judge looked at her. \u201cIf I had a nickel for everybody who comes into my court and says they\u2019ve changed their lives, I\u2019d be a rich man.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was next. The judge fixed me with his sharp eyes. \u201cYour Honor,\u201d I said, \u201cif I had a nickel for everyone who tells me that they\u2019ve changed their lives, I\u2019d be a rich man too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what makes this young woman different?\u201d he countered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my understanding,\u201d I continued, \u201cthat Melissa Collora has had a transformation. I believe faith can change lives. I believe it can change Melissa\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was dead silence in the courtroom. Finally the judge spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like this,\u201d he said. \u201cA veteran police supervisor<\/a> testifying on behalf of a prostitute?\u201d He turned to Melissa. \u201cYoung lady, I was going to sentence you to ten years. I commute your sentence to treatment at the Walter Hoving Home. A lot of people are sticking their necks out for you\u2014me included. Do not violate this trust. Don\u2019t blow this chance. It\u2019s your last one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He banged his gavel and Melissa was led away.<\/p>\n

Melissa called me from Linda\u2019s cell phone on the way to the Hoving Home. \u201cTim, I just want to thank you \u2026 ,\u201d she started to say. Then the signal faded. I didn\u2019t need to hear anymore. What I did for her wasn\u2019t much, but I think it was the best thing I could have done. Even a vice cop can\u2019t go through life letting it harden him. Maybe that\u2019s where I\u2019d changed. I believed in her.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s up to Melissa now. And to the One who made sure our paths kept intersecting until we both saw what he did\u2014a young woman with a whole new life ahead of her, a life in him.<\/p>\n

This story first appeared in the July 2004 issue of\u00a0<\/em>Guideposts<\/strong><\/a> magazine<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of my officers tapped me on the arm right after I got off the radio telling the precinct that we\u2019d made a bust. \u201cSarge,\u201d he said, nodding toward the squad car. \u201cThe girl says she knows you.\u201d Yeah, I wanted to say. Right. I\u2019m in charge of the St. Petersburg, Florida, vice squad, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":29532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[193],"tags":[194,195,11,196],"ppma_author":[1010],"class_list":["post-21763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-addiction-and-recovery","tag-addiction","tag-drugs","tag-helping-others","tag-recovery"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew - Guideposts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of my officers tapped me on the arm right after I got off the radio telling the precinct that we\u2019d made a bust. \u201cSarge,\u201d he said, nodding toward the squad car. \u201cThe girl says she knows you.\u201d Yeah, I wanted to say. Right. I\u2019m in charge of the St. Petersburg, Florida, vice squad, and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Guideposts Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/articles.guideposts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"866\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"TIM MONTANARI\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ashley Lateef\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/faa53f8591ae82db44229538dc645b22\"},\"headline\":\"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1870,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Addiction\",\"Drugs\",\"Helping others\",\"Recovery\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Addiction and Recovery\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/\",\"name\":\"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew - Guideposts Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg\",\"width\":1540,\"height\":866},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Positive Living\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Health and Wellness\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Addiction and Recovery\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/addiction-and-recovery\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"description\":\"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"caption\":\"Guideposts Articles\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/faa53f8591ae82db44229538dc645b22\",\"name\":\"Ashley Lateef\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=ga6427e4b1aa6d767df382685855cb23c\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ashley Lateef\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/author\\\/alate\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew - Guideposts Articles","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew","og_description":"One of my officers tapped me on the arm right after I got off the radio telling the precinct that we\u2019d made a bust. \u201cSarge,\u201d he said, nodding toward the squad car. \u201cThe girl says she knows you.\u201d Yeah, I wanted to say. Right. I\u2019m in charge of the St. Petersburg, Florida, vice squad, and […]","og_url":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/","og_site_name":"Guideposts Articles","article_published_time":"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1540,"height":866,"url":"http:\/\/articles.guideposts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"TIM MONTANARI","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/"},"author":{"name":"Ashley Lateef","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/faa53f8591ae82db44229538dc645b22"},"headline":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew","datePublished":"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/"},"wordCount":1870,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg","keywords":["Addiction","Drugs","Helping others","Recovery"],"articleSection":["Addiction and Recovery"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/","url":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/","name":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew - Guideposts Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-11T11:44:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-10T06:12:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/policeofficer_marquee-1.jpg","width":1540,"height":866},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/how-a-police-veterans-faith-helped-a-victim-he-knew\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Positive Living","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Health and Wellness","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Addiction and Recovery","item":"http:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/addiction-and-recovery\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"How a Police Veteran’s Faith Helped a Victim He Knew"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","name":"Guideposts Articles","description":"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization","name":"Guideposts Articles","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","caption":"Guideposts Articles"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/faa53f8591ae82db44229538dc645b22","name":"Ashley Lateef","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=ga6427e4b1aa6d767df382685855cb23c","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c6c915ec348660c14be88202051de2509b9459f44eaf96c1481eab87291f7dfa?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","caption":"Ashley Lateef"},"url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/author\/alate\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":1010,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"tim-montanari","display_name":"TIM MONTANARI","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fgpbookstore.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21763\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21763"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=21763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}