I wonder sometimes if the public knows how much the outcry of well wishes, support, sympathy and kind words means to the rank and file cop on the street. Everyday people, young and old, stop their lives to line the route of a funeral procession with hundreds of police cars. They hold signs saying how appreciated we are when there is a line of duty death. We see their hand over their heart, the tears on their cheeks and sorrow in their eyes as we slowly pass by. Those images get indelibly etched in our minds. We hear your voices and actions loud and clear and it rings true to the reasons they do what they do. They need to know what they do is appreciated and their sacrifices are worthwhile.
Think about this for a second. Let’s say you’re walking along by yourself in a shopping mall this evening. You hear shouting, screams and then gunshots. People start running away from the location of the sounds. For most, your first instinct is to go in the opposite direction too, and away from what sounds dangerous. But for some reason there are people who ignore the danger and go towards it. Why I don’t know, but that’s the kind of character the people I work with have and those we want to hire must bring with them. And it can’t be just because their being paid to do it, because reserves and volunteers do it for absolutely nothing other than the satisfaction that comes with helping someone. Figure that one out.