Do you Trust your Partner?

If you were to ask a cop about trust, I believe the first response you would get would be a good Clint Eastwood sneer. Trust exists only in reference to one’s partner especially in the heat of the moment.


To maintain trust, again communication is key. Learn to share your feelings with each other. Bottling them up can lead to frustration, resentment and doubt. Both sides are being bombarded with negative messages about why trust is detrimental, but in a romantic relationship you must agree to set aside the “outside” gloves. I have to remind myself the war does not exist in my home, so I must put down the sword. Kirschman reminds us that without trust, you’re the enemy and I refuse to give my heart to the enemy. So each day, I need to allow myself to trust my partner. If I feel protective, I have to assess why and work through it. If it’s because of something I perceive he has or hasn’t done, I need to investigate prior to becoming contemptuous. I need to communicate. These apply to my partner as well.  

In the field, if you don’t act decisively, someone could die. In a relationship, we must make the conscious decision to trust each other. We’re partners just like on the street. We must each feel confident that our partner will get out of the passenger seat when life gives us situations. Without trust, we’re left feeling alone and vulnerable like when the radios go down. When life creates the need for a back-up, I want my partner by my side. I want to know he’ll be there without even looking over my shoulder. Trust creates this confidence.

 

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About The Author:

Michelle Perin has been a freelance writer since 2000. Her credits include Law Enforcement Technology, Police, Law and Order, Police Times, Beyond the Badge, Michigan State Trooper, Michigan Snowmobiler Magazine and Chief of Police. She writes two columns a month for Officer.com. Michelle worked for the Phoenix (AZ) Police Department for almost eight years. In December 2010, she earned her Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Indiana State University. Currently, Michelle works as the Administrative Coordinator at Jasper Mountain a residential psychiatric facility for children. In her spare time, she enjoys being the fundraising coordinator for the Lane Area Ferret Shelter & Rescue, playing her bass, working on her young adult novel Desert Ice and raising her two sons in a small town in Oregon.