“I’m on your six.” Another way of saying, “I’ve got your back.” That perspective was why I titled the column for it. With over 37 years wearing a badge and now about 13 years working for OFFICER.com/LET/LEPN, it has always been my desire and intent to do what I could to protect my brothers and sisters in blue. Some agree with my voiced concerns, outlooks, values, beliefs, etc. Some don’t. I’ve received emails for both and no matter the voice of the email (positive or negative), I’m thankful that my Thin Blue Line family takes the time to read my thoughts.
This On Your Six column marks my last. No... for those of you starting to dance in delight, I’m not leaving, but LET is. Starting next month, LET and LEPN are being combined into a new, stronger, more efficient and information-packed magazine called, simply, OFFICER. Rather than reading my ‘sign off’ in each issue, you’ll see me writing the welcome—My Letter from the Editor at the front of each issue. Rest assured, it’s still my intent to have your six.
2020 has certainly been a challenging year and we all hope that 2021 will be less of a challenge. That said, we probably need to be ready for not much to change. Budgets will be challenged. Leadership will change. Some communities will grow in their support of the law enforcement professionals that serve them; others not so much. Is that really so different though? That happens on a fairly constant basis. Some parts of our community love and support us. Others, no matter what we do or don’t do, will be critical of us and wish us ill. But it’s the large chunk in the middle that I’d like to discuss momentarily.
Those on the fence, so to speak, are the ones we can have the greatest impact on. How we appear to them; how we treat them; how they see us treating others; the language we use; the assists we offer. Heck, even the first words we speak to them on first contact. All of it will impact them—but whether that impact is positive or negative is kind of up to us. Sure, there are some that are looking for us to do something wrong and if THEY are in the wrong, they tend to be even more critical. I once had an instructor who said, “Courtesy is not giving someone whatever they want; it’s being polite and professional as you do it.”
Let’s be ugly honest: The legacy media makes money from pointing out our mistakes. Too few outlets are even willing to call attention to the times we go above and beyond. It’s up to us—and we must make a concerted effort of it—to give them more reason to see the good in our profession. I AM NOT saying that you should ever, in any way, reduce your officer survival practices or just accept risk willy-nilly. What I’m saying is that discretion is a wonderful tool when it’s available to us, and we need to make judicious use of it.
Stay safe, my family of the Thin Blue Line. Hopefully in 2021 we can once again gather at Police Week for our annual reunion. Until then, watch your back and each other’s. Make recommendations for improvement up your chain of command and help the newer officers you work with to grow into our profession. Go home at the end of each shift and go to sleep each night with your soul at peace. If you aren’t at peace, seek out someone to talk with; to help you; to regain your peace. Don’t let this job make you your own enemy. We can’t afford to lose you.
See you next year...
