Do Police Officers Matter?

Police work is the forced evolution of youradrenalin-induced action.
perceptions of the human condition. Every moralThe toll of maintaining this level of awareness can
code, belief and preconceived deal of sociallybe staggering to officers, but with experience
appropriate behavior will be assaulted, shaken andcomes an ability to balance perspectives and
taken to the turf in a law enforcement career.accept the realities encountered.
Police work rattles your adrenalin cage, slaps youPolice work is a daily parade of people in crisis.
in the face with raw reality and gives you 3And every crisis is unique to the people involved,
seconds to make rational, informed-possiblybut may be based on a conflict common to
life-or-death-decisions.many. One shift may include a dozen domestic
Imagine this: your work day is punctuated bydisturbances, all caused by families in crisis, but all
having 20 tons of water dropped onunique due to the different individuals involved.
you-sometimes someone, or your intuition, shoutsExperienced police officers accept that every
a warning, sometimes not. The water is a threatperson encounters times of crisis in their lives and
to you, to those around you and to your fellowthat most people are not accustomed to crisis
officers. It is inevitable and inescapable. You mustand don't react well to it. Emotions can be
deal with it every day-every time it happens.excessive, responses out of character and
So...do you train to become strong enough tojudgments impaired. The police officer becomes
drop to the ground and endure the water'sthe critical incident expert during those times of
onslaught? Do you train to become agile enoughcrisis. Their uniform, badge, weapons and vehicle
to leap out of harms way?are tools that reinforce this role, but their
Or, do you train yourself to become an arrowdemeanor and actions establish their authority as
that pierces the water, splitting and deflecting its'a welcome reality within the unreality of the
power, while you remain steadfast and totallycritical incident.
aware of it-even while surrounded by its'Officers are expected to know all the rules;
potentially lethal torrent?render fair, impartial judgments; rebuild realities
If your only need is to survive the deluge andand read minds. While others scream in agony,
continue on, any of these training options mightreel in horror or become enraged-the officer must
be acceptable. But what if self-preservation wastake actions that protect all, enforce the law and
only conditional? What if every work dayresolve chaos. Regardless of personal injury or
centered on waiting for, and being prepared for,threat to life and limb, police officers are
the water?expected to perform their duties professionally
Waiting for, anticipating and reacting to the water.and without hesitation.
Ever ready, ever alert, ever prepared.The tragedy and human suffering that touch an
Police work demands being prepared to act-andofficers' life takes a special fortitude of spirit and
that demand creates tremendous anticipation ofmind to keep that touch from creating wounds in
action. You watch, you wait, you review actionpersonal realities and personalities. In times of trial,
options. You listen, learn and wait some more.the camaraderie borne of this specialty fuses to
And eventually you see that anticipation of actionbecome a bond that brings officers, and balance,
has to be controlled, regulated and educated-so itback-safe in body and sound of mind.
becomes a finely tuned and accurate trigger for