Guiding Lights

Louis Castanon
Police
Mims Baptist Church’s three-day Bible conference drew groups from across Texas. When attendees left each night, they were concerned about driving their vehicles onto the dark, 55 mph road that led to the church, wrote Bill Maultsby, minister of education.

Officer Louis Castanon, a Mims member, volunteered to direct traffic onto the street. Because of that, there were no accidents, Maultsby wrote.

“To know that Mr. Castanon would volunteer to help us, and specify that he wanted no monetary compensation, is very appreciated,” Maultsby wrote. “You should be proud to have someone with the qualities of Mr. Castanon working for you. I know we are proud to have him as part of our fellowship.”

Paul Shaffer
Police
After seven years as a domestic violence and sexual assault victims advocate for The Bridge Over Troubled Waters Inc., Cathryn Councill has become jaded by the way victims are treated. Many people in the medical and law enforcement fields treat victims with rudeness, impatience, and ignorance, and blame them for the incident, Councill wrote.

Then she met Officer Paul Shaffer.

“Officer Shaffer assisted me, the client, and the client’s family with respect, dignity, compassion, and strength,” Councill wrote. “He did an excellent job getting information while being an advocate and concerned human being.”

Shaffer presented the victim with information and options, “which is so important to someone who feels powerless,” Councill wrote. He was patient while she made tough decisions that made his job harder. When she made her decisions, he was supportive while explaining to her the possible repercussions.

“He was so knowledgeable about the after effects of sexual assault and spent time building trust with a traumatized young woman,” she wrote. “He also valued my role as an advocate, which was very empowering for me.