A Message to America from a Cop

This first appeared in The Havok Journal on June 12, 2020.

It doesn’t matter who you are.

When you call 911, we come. It doesn’t matter what color, language, religious beliefs, or political opinions; we come. We execute our jobs the best we can: to preserve life, preserve liberty, maintain order, and maintain peace.

Remember, should there be a breach of peace, we use our discretion. We see everyone as people, like us. We are all living, human beings that breathe the same air. We all put on our pants the same way every day. We are people that love, that cry, that have moms and dads, sons and daughters. We ARE moms and dads, sons and daughters.

Whether a CEO, the President of the United States, a mechanic, unemployed, a felon or if you are trapped in a burning building: we will come. If your child is drowning, we will jump in. If you stick a needle in your arm and overdose, we will help. If there is a shooter, we will hunt them. If there is an active shooter, we will put ourselves between the bullets and you.

It doesn’t matter who you are. Our minds, bodies, and souls are conditioned to protect yours. If you are bleeding, we will stop it. We will breathe life into anybody; even if you have been spitting at us and throwing bottles of piss or bleach in our faces.

I’d say the vast majority of my brothers and sisters see the public this way. We use discretion, we warn, we council and we help.

Jail or “hands on” is usually a last resort. Unless the breach is detrimental to public safety or overtly egregious, and/or you are a threat that needs to be stopped.

Make no mistake, if one of our own steps out of bounds, we are the first that blows the whistle. Gone are the days of turning the other way… at least for the 18 years I’ve been in Law Enforcement.

But always remember we will back our righteous brothers and sisters to the death.

Don’t push us away. Trust us, you won’t like what comes if you do. You really don’t know what lurks behind the corner, watching us. Watching you. Waiting for their prey. Most of the time, they back away from their prey just when hearing our distant sirens. They wait and watch to see how we operate. They watch where you go and see how you operate.

Don’t push us away.

When you call, we will answer equally.

When we see, we act.

We’ve sworn, usually in front of hundreds or thousands of people, to do this and uphold our laws and Constitution. When we take our oath, it is etched in our hearts.

It doesn’t matter who you are. It’s all the same for everyone. When you call, we will answer. Equally.

We will ride the storm and quell the thunder for everyone and anyone, equally.

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