Sgt Charles Lowe has been in law enforcement for 21 years. After graduating college he returned to his community and it has been his honor to protect and serve there over these years. On July 14, 2015 while working a secondary job in the Central West End he was ambushed and shot while sitting in his car. Sgt. Lowe credits his training, equipment (his vest) and most importantly his strong faith and relationship with God for saving his life. Since then he has made it his business to help educate others on the police Department about the importance of training and wearing your equipment. He also stresses care for Officers mental health. After his incident he immediately sought professional help from the departments EAP (Employee Assistance Program), private counseling, and his church family. He credits these steps for helping him start on the path toward a safe mental return to work. Sgt. Lowe continues to serve for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and always says even though police work is sometimes a challenge; he can’t imagine doing anything else. It is a personal calling for him and believes that most women and men who work in law enforcement feel the same way.
Kelli Lowe was President of a local Police Wives group for over 10 years. Now as President of the National Police Wives Association she works to advocate for spouses and families to develop better working relationships with departments they serve under. Kelli has spoken nationwide about the impact and effect of law enforcement life on the spouse and family. She has been instrumental in organizing relief for Officers and their families who were involved in the events in and around Ferguson, as well as Baton Rouge and Dallas. She is one of the first phone calls local Chiefs in St. Louis make when there is a crisis or incident that departments will need assistance with. Now along with other key members of the NPWA she does training and helps other wives build local support groups.
Charles and Kelli have been married for 19 years, as a couple they try to educate others who live in law enforcement marriages that through communication and support of each other they can survive anything. They often teach together at the Police Academy and speak together about July 14th and how it changed both their lives. Seeing the continued divide between the community and law enforcement they have taken on and work together on many outside projects. They also now have their own podcast called the Blueline Lifestyle, which seeks to build a bridge between Law Enforcement and the Community by openly addressing differences and similarities in the lifestyle of Law Enforcement families and the Community at large. They have also started a project called Project HURT to help critically injured and wounded Officers with either their transition back to work or to civilian life, also to bring awareness to communities of the impact of a critical incident on these Officers. They both have a strong faith in God and believe that the couple that prays together can move mountains together. They are both say their biggest accomplishment and blessing though is their seven year old son Cj.
