Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
I received this
rant via email and felt it was important to share. Today (as I type this) we have an article going live on Officer.com titled
"War on Cops" from contributor and officer survival instructor, Kevin Davis. When I read his article I told Kevin I was going to be writing a blog. I started to and then received the following. I felt it was expressive enough and offer it instead. To all my brothers and sisters in law enforcement,
stay safe! Do your job professionally and go home at the end of your shift. To the members of the public we serve, please read the following; try to not get angry or resentful; try to take it for what it is: an insight into what we deal with daily and how that silliness still doesn't slow us down. We still put on the uniform day in and day out to serve and protect YOU - even when we aren't appreciated for it. We're not perfect but we challenge anyone to do the job better. Read on.
***
Ok, I know I shouldn’t have read the comments posted reference the recent news article addressing the recent attacks on law enforcement. I guess I thought I'd see more positive responses. Boy was I clearly mistaken. I just have to say - try and imagine a USA where there is no law enforcement for 24 hours.
When you get in a car accident, don’t call us to help exchange info or call an ambulance for you. When the driver is drunk, doesn't have a license, or insurance, don't call 911.
When your house gets broken into and your most precious sentimental valuables are stolen, don't call 911.
When you get robbed on the street, don't call 911.
When the drunk driver plows into your house, don’t call 911.
When someone is ringing your doorbell at night and you're too afraid to look out the window, don’t call 911 to have us check it out.
When you “feel†someone is outside your window or lurking your property, don't call 911.
When the computer chip that the CIA planted in your head needs the battery replaced or it'll explode, don't call 911 (you think I’m joking people?).
When your mother, father, sister, brother, child, friend is threatening to kill themselves, don't call 911.
When your mother, father, sister, brother, child, friend is off their meds and out of control, don't call 911.
When you haven’t heard from your mother, father, brother, sister, child, friend, in a day and need us to check on them, don’t call 911.
When your husband or wife tells you they’ve been cheating on you and want to leave you, don't call 911 (oh yes people, it happens).
When your husband, wife or child for that matter assaults you, don't call 911.
When there's a drunk passed out in front of your house, or better yet, when that drunk thinks it's their house and is trying to get in, don't call 911.
When that jack@$$ is driving like an idiot and cuts you off, don't call 911.
When your neighbor's music to too loud, or when you live in an apartment and god forbid the neighbor above you gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of night and the walking and toilet flushing keeps you awake, don't call 911.
When people at your neighbor's party decides to extend the party boundaries into your yard, block your driveway, and disturb your sleep because you have to work in the morning, don't call 911.
When you strike a deer and damage your car, don't call 911.
When someone pulls into a parking spot you've been waiting for at the grocery store parking lot, don't call 911.
And all this within the 1st hour of a shift - only 9 more to go. Good times. And that's not even mentioning the more serious/felonious crimes where someone is seriously hurt, injured, or mentally traumatized. Seriously imagine not picking up the phone to call 911.
There’s a lot more BS we put up with than you want to believe because IT DOESN’T HAPPEN TO YOU. But of course when it does, it’s the crime of the century and you must call 911 and have us handle it. We do our best to help you but we can’t do it all. Some people forget about personal responsibility; or it’s more that they don’t want to admit it. You get mad when the police can’t solve all your problems because you’re too busy to do what you need to do for your own life.
There's a lot of the caught-on-tape-type-of-crap out there that leads the public to believe that is how ALL law enforcement is. Every time you see a cop put hands on anyone you automatically scream
excessive force or
police brutality. What the heck, people? How do you expect us to take control of some people and arrest them? You called 911 because there was a problem, remember? We carry 20lbs of excess weight on our person for a reason; for accessibility to be used if needed; and if we do it’s
excessive force? You think I want to endure all that back pain for looks? It’s there to be used if needed, and remember we do carry a gun for a reason. We are not social workers with a gun permit - we are cops.
Cops tend to be grouped into one whole category. Well, how many of you really know me? I'm a cop, but I'm also a wife, mother, and a good friend. How would you feel if I was one of those victims in the news? Would you think that I deserve it? Well, all my colleagues are just as good hearted people as I am. They have families and “normal†lives outside of the uniform, and they don't deserve it either. Every profession has a bad seed, but you don't see the world ganging up on them. How many celebrities, politicians, or your everyday joe schmo do unacceptable things and somehow you can forgive and forget and continue to put them up on a pedestal. But a cop is shown on you tube and you judge without knowing the whole story and you refuse to hear the whole story. Or I hear, “that’s what you get paid to doâ€. Really? You think you could put up with ALL OF THIS and answer “well, it’s what I get paid to doâ€?
People, I tell you that I didn’t raise my hand and swear to be killed. I do admit, there are a few bad ones out there that deserve the punishment when they get caught, but I assure you, there are more good ones, like me, who don't deserve to be judged based on personal biases.
Until you walk in our shoes for one day/night, don’t even try to judge. Imagine 24 hours without the ability to call 911. What do you think will happen?
I work a 10 hour midnight shift and my goal is to go home safe to my loved ones every morning. I do what I have to do to make sure I go home to my family. When I'm home, I take my daughter to school and take care of my toddler at home during the day because I want to be there for my kids. I nap when the baby naps, wake up, pick up the older kid from school. I make sure my teenager has me to talk to about her day because these are critical years for a teenage girl. I cook dinner for the family. We sit down and enjoy dinner together as a family with the mindset that it may be the last dinner I have with them. I put the uniform on and go back on the street at night to take care of
your family knowing that people are out there trying to kill me. And you know why I do it? Because it's what we do.
And that my friend is the mindset of a majority of police officers, especially the ones on my shift that I rely on to stay alive, unharmed every night - not the few you see on TV. We know how you feel about us but yet we still respond to your home to keep calm the waters - then you tell us to
"&%#@* off and get outâ€. (you have no idea how many times I've heard that), and we find ourselves back the next night; or heck maybe in a few hours, because YOU called 911 for our help… again. Could you do that? Probably not, but that's what we do. We go back and still try to help you out. Go figure. At times we seem cold and unemotional to your problems. Just try to imagine all we deal with in an 8-10 hour shift.
Just try and imagine yourself in my shoes. I know those of you who are not in the field will never truly understand why we are the way we are, and I don't expect you too. I just wanted to give you a little peek into my world.
I do apologize for this rant. After I typed it I sat here for a long time contemplating pressing the
PUBLISH button. I don't usually go off like this, but the recent events have sparked a nerve. I know people generally dislike the police, but the comments I read were just appalling, and I'm not one who's easily shocked. We lose a member of our profession on average every other day and the public seems to think it's justified. I’m livid. I know some of you will read this and disagree and that's ok. I just felt that I needed to tell my side because the media sure isn't. And yet, I'm still going to put the uniform back on tomorrow.
R.I.P. to all my friends, both personally and professionally, that I have lost in this life. I know you’ve found your peace in heaven. Watch over all of us here on earth. We need it.
Reproduced with permission.
