Brian's Story

 

2025 Interview with Kim Hiltunen

Adopt-A-Cop.org is a national ministry that pairs a prayer partner and a law enforcement professional in anonymity.  Kim Hiltunen is helping to lead the Mid-Michigan Chapter and has agreed to an interview.  Some of his answers may surprise you!

2025 Interview with Kim Hiltunen

Q: When did you come to know the Lord?  

A: In the fall of 1976 I was approached by four people about the Lord Jesus on four separate occasions. None of the four knew the other 3. One was in Lansing, one was in Ohio, one was at MSU, and the fourth was in Flint. I surrendered my life to Christ in February, 1978 after reading a Campus Crusade Four Spiritual Laws tract from one of the four. A former sceptic, I saw the reality of Thomas' encounter with Jesus in John 20:24-29; so I had to surrender.

Q: What is a surprising or interesting fact about you? 

A: I used to love hitch-hiking, until Karen extracted from me an oath that wouldn't do it anymore. So, now, chatting with Uber drivers is lots of fun for me. On one occasion -- in Toronto -- the Uber driver and I were like best friends after they brought Karen and me to our destination. The dude got out of his vehicle, came around, and gave me a hug! EVERYTHING is interesting to me, which might explain why I changed my major 6 times in college. 

Q: How did the Lord bring you to AAC involvement? 

A: I knew a fair amount about "cop life" from my RN work in emergency departments. Also, from the media, I learned about the dangers of law enforcement. So, a few years ago, I started with "adopting" Badge 003 after hearing about AAC through you when you visited Capital City Vineyard Church, where I had served as an elder. After 003's retirement, I adopted i55. Now I tell cops that I'm the guy that wants to pull them over! When I see a cop parked and not busy, I open-handedly approach their vehicle, thank them for their service, and offer to pray for them. I haven't been turned down.

Q: What is your vision for the Mid- Michigan Chapter?  

A: Right now I'm committed to filling the prayer coverage gap related to the Lansing, Michigan Police Department. Another 80 or so prayer warriors are my target. Having that task completed, I will then work to get into all police departments in the surrounding communities in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties. When that's done, I'll keep going. Might as well finish up with the rest of the state.

Q: How can people get involved with your work? 

A: I am looking for a protégé to come alongside me -- someone to whom I can confidently hand over the leadership, trusting that they will maintain the momentum. But I want to gather around me people who love certain elements of the work, e.g.:  planning events; preparing food (I strongly dislike cooking); unintimidated extroverts who have a heart for the law enforcement community; granular-minded introverts who can parse budgets; activity freaks (looking for every opportunity to party); wonderers; inventors; discerners; galvanizers who can pull teams together effectively; behind-the-scenes people who want to be in on the action; and tenacious people who can stay on task for as long as needed until completion.

Talking With Your Hands

People talk with their hands.

Words come out of mouths but meaning comes from members.  Exclamations, sincerity and genuineness can be punctuated by hands.  Communicating with gestures is effective.

Think Danny DeVito.

An officer talked with his hands.  

Whenever he spoke, about anything at all, his hand fell to his sidearm.  Sometimes he softly cupped the butt of the gun between his thumb and forefinger.  Other times he shifted his weight onto the weapon by placing his palm and leaning.  When he really wanted to make a point, the semi-automatic would be gripped.

A slight tug left the barrel in the holster but the weapon in his hand.  He would pull the gun up an inch only to replace with the conversation's cadence.  Up and down, in and out of his hand, the handgun was just as conversant as its proprietor.  

Subjects varied; small talk and philosophy interested him, but each subject was accompanied by firearm fondling.  He talked with his hands.  Feedback from nervous listeners, interpreting his firearm fondness as a threat, seemed to fall on deaf ears.  

He meant no harm.

Civilian complaints about fearful exchanges may have been lodged but old habits are hard to break.  Police culture includes gun culture; he was one of many cops who talked with his hands.  

What's the big deal?

"What's the big deal?" asked a reader.  

"I have never feared the police.  Why would I?  They are here to help," pressed an audience member. 

"I guess everyone has a different experience," said another.  "You were terrified of police, but have things changed for you?  Are you still scared of cops?"

The Lord is my light and my salvation.  Whom shall I fear? ~ Psalm 27:1

Gun whisperers now think twice before touching sidearms because departments are implementing Axon Signal Sidearm.

Signal Sidearm is a sensor that alerts cameras when a firearm is drawn.  Because cameras in the cruiser and on the officer's chest begin capturing footage, moving a weapon an inch now requires an explanation.  Awareness of technology that polices the police comes from proximity.

The Lord continues to use Christian outreach among first responders in unusual ways.

Some departments have made behavior that discomforts civilians uncomfortable for cops.  New patterns of behavior, like limiting sidearm touches, are the result of internal changes.  Perhaps citizen feedback played a role.  Litigation can bring about change.  

Sometimes cops just do the right thing.

An officer has kicked a habit because his department invested in technology.  

What's the big deal?

Watching the change has been otherworldly.  He had no idea how nervous he was making his chaplain but the Lord knew.  Asking God for change works, when we think to ask but the Lord was never asked. Seeing the Holy Spirit work among law enforcement professionals is a big deal.

We still see each other and he's still a storyteller.

He still talks with his hands but now they're empty.

Think Danny DeVito