CLEARWATER, Fla. — New Clearwater Police Officers and their families are now receiving a little extra support, thanks to the efforts of the agency's Family Support Liaison.

  • Nancy Kachuric the wife of a CPD 28-year veteran
  • Kachuric: "We tell them that we're there for them."
  • Kachuric, other officers' wives host events, provide support structure

Nancy Kachuric creates a gift basket for someone she hasn’t even met.

The goodies are to help welcome new Clearwater Police Officers and their families.

The welcome basket is just the beginning of Kachuric’s mission.

"That’s the goal, is to bring this new generation that’s coming in,” said Kachuric, the agency's Family Support Liaison. “We have officers that are at 10 years and 15 years, that still have 10, 20, however long they want to work, so, they’ve got a long time that they can be with these new families that are coming on." 

The wife of a Clearwater Police Officer of almost 28 years, Kachuric wanted to help other families. She approached Clearwater Police Chief Dan Slaughter with the idea to become a formal resource for all new families and recruits.

"We tell them that we’re there for them,” said Kachuric. “We tell them the good stuff, but we get into the deep stuff with them as well, but we tell them that no matter what, we have their back."

The bond begins the day an officer is sworn in. The connection then continues with Nancy and other officer wives and mothers, like Maggie Jewett and Clara Hailey, hosting everything from ball games to baby showers.

The group also helps with referring doctors, suggesting benefits packages, and answering questions common from families new to an area and new to the police profession.

Slaughter told us he welcomes the support.

"This profession’s a tough profession. and it’s not only hard on the individual doing the job, but it’s hard on the families, and having them have to balance the dangers and the fear and the anxiety and all the things that come with the job,” said Slaughter.

“It’s so important to have the families, the ability to connect to other families that have lived through that and been able to somehow make it all work," he continued.

Kachuric does her part to make it work by bringing generations together, and working to bring a close-knit family even closer.

"It’s beyond heart-touching, really," said Kachuric.