Why we Do this

I am a cop. I suppose some of the posts I have made in the past make that fact fairly obvious. I am proud to be a cop. It is a profession that I decided early on to pursue. I guess since I was in junior high (now called middle school) I have always wanted to be a cop. Now that I have achieved that goal, I cannot imagine doing anything else. It is the best job in the world. Being a cop is like an E-ticket at Disneyland (it’s been a while, I don’t know if Disneyland even has e-ticket rides anymore). I get a front row seat to some of life’s most exciting events. On the downside, I also get to see some of life’s most disheartening events. This job has provided me with some of the best moments in my life; and also some of the worst. Still, I wouldn’t change my career choice for anything. Because of that, I do not like to hear some of the negative comments made by, and towards my fellow cops. Oh, I guess the negatives that are heard from some citizens are to be expected. Many of them are made based on a lack of understanding of the job. Many are based on negative contacts they have encountered with a cop. And, regrettably, some are based on instances where cops have made mistakes or acted inappropriately.
But the negative comments heard by fellow cops are the ones that sting the most. Not because I always disagree with the comments; many are spot on. They sting because I think they reflect poorly on Police Officers as a whole. By nature we are thick skinned. We are often ripped up one side and down the other by an unhappy violator, yet we resist the opportunity to respond in kind. Our character and actions are often called into question while on the stand, yet we respond with professionalism and a certain amount of detachment to the attack. Why is it then that in the Chief’s blog and other venues, many negative comments are posted in reply by someone who is obviously a cop? You know the ones. The ones where an officer is complaining about having to take the time to remove a dating.com sign from the right of way. Or miffed because they were called on a child neglect regarding kids climbing a tree unsupervised. Or having to spend hours investigating the feces filled candelabra left on a front porch.
The response from some citizens is ‘That’s what you are paid for’, or ‘I pay your salary’, or ‘You shouldn’t be a cop if you don’t want to do those things’.
Well, for those people I have a response: When I was in junior high thinking about becoming a cop, I did not envision saving the world by removing signs from the right of way. I did not think I was going to make a difference by acting as parent for someone else’s children. I was not thinking of saving humanity from invading hoards throwing flaming poop bombs. I really did want to make a difference. I wanted to save the city from murderers, robbers, and thieves. I wanted to protect the poor and defend the weak. I wanted to help create peace out of chaos. I wanted to be a positive role model in a young person’s life, just like SRO Stacey was for me when I was a kid.
The truth is I have had some encounters that have fulfilled those dreams. I have helped people in need and I have protected some from harm. I have helped make peace in some chaotic incidents. Many days I have ended my shift feeling as if I did make a difference. But in reality, those instances are the exception, not the rule. A good deal of time is put into taking belated reports of fairly minor incidents, or handling the truly mundane calls that are sent out to me via the radio. I frequently act as babysitter or referee to both youth, and adults.
So to the citizens I would say this: I will handle your call no matter how minor. I will do it to the best of my ability and will try to uphold the honor of the badge I wear. But if I feel somewhat less than satisfied, and that occasionally comes out as a complaint in a blog, please understand that those complaints are from frustration, not laziness or a lack of concern. It is hard to gear myself down to pulling a sign from a right of way, when I have been trained and have prepared to save lives and protect those who need protection.
To the officers I would say this: This is the job we have chosen and we must take the good with the bad and the satisfying with the unsatisfying. Most calls we respond to will not be the kind of calls that we envisioned ourselves doing when we applied for the job, but that call may still positively effect someone beyond what we perceive. And the call that forever affects your life or the life of someone else, may be the next call dispatched to you.