An Officer Speaks was written in response to a "Letter to the Editor" which
complained about the local Richmond, VA police force.
A POLICE OFFICER SPEAKS
Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into
the category where you've placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardized,
characterized, classified, grouped, and always typical. Unfortunately, the
reverse is true. I can never figure you out. From birth you teach your
children that I'm the bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with
my traditional enemy...the criminal! You accuse me of coddling
criminals...until I catch your kids doing wrong. You may take an hour for
lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for
having one cup. You pride yourself on your manners, but think nothing of
disrupting my meals with your troubles. You raise hell with the guy who cuts
you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking
on you. You know all the traffic laws; but, you've never gotten a single
ticket you deserve. You call out "foul" if you observe me driving fast to a
call, but raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your
complaint. You call it part of my job if someone strikes me; but, call it
Police brutality if I strike back. You wouldn't think of telling your dentist
how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you are
always willing to give me pointers on the law. You talk to me in a manner
that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it
without batting an eye. You yell something's got to be done to fight crime,
but you can't be bothered to get involved. You have no use for me at all, but
of course it's OK if I change a flat for your wife, deliver your child in the
back of the Patrol car, or perhaps save your son's life with mouth to mouth
breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost Daughter. So,
Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the
way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think
that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of
my buddies. Yes, Mr.Citizen, it's me...the cop!
The author of this article was Trooper Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State
Police. He was killed in the line of duty two months after writing the
article. As a salute to the millions of police officers who put their lives
on the line for us everyday, please pass this on.
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