Just a thought about being a cop! It's not a job for everyone!

BELOW is a little story I thought I would share. Think you could handle the work we do?


The department was all astir, there was a lot of laughing and joking due to all the new officers, myself included, hitting the streets today for the first time. After months of seemingly endless amounts of classes, paperwork, and lectures we were finally done with the Police academy and ready to join the ranks of our department.

All you could see were rows of cadets with huge smiles and polished badges. As we sat in the briefing room, we could barely sit still anxiously awaiting our turn to be introduced and given our beat assignment or, for the lay person, our own portion of the city to "serve and protect."

It was then that he walked in. A statue of a man - 6 foot 3 and 230 pounds of solid muscle, he had black hair with highlights of gray and steely eyes that make you feel nervous even when he wasn't looking at you. He had a reputation for being the biggest and the smartest officer to ever work our fair city. He had been on the department for longer then anyone could remember and those years of service had made him into somewhat of a legend.

The new guys, or "rookies" as he called us, both respected and feared him. When he spoke even the most seasoned officers paid attention. It was almost a privilege when one of the rookies got to be around when he would tell one of his police stories about the old days. But we knew our place and never interrupted for fear of being shooed away. He was respected and revered by all who knew him.

After my first year on the department I still had never heard or saw him speak to any of the rookies for any length of time. When he did speak to them all he would say was, "So, you want to be a policeman do you hero? I'll tell you what, when you can tell me what they taste like, then you can call yourself a real policeman."

This particular phrase I had heard dozens of times. Me and my buddies all had bets about "what they taste like" actually referred to. Some believed it referred to the taste of your own blood after a hard fight. Others thought it referred to the taste of sweat after a long day's work. Being on the department for a year, I thought I knew just about everyone and everything. So one afternoon, I mustered up the courage and walked up to him. When he looked down at me, I said "You know, I think I've paid my dues. I've been in plenty of fights, made dozens of arrests, and sweated my butt off just like everyone else. So what does that little saying of yours mean anyway?"

With that, he merely stated, "Well, seeing as how you've said and done it all, you tell me what it means, hero." When I had no answer, he shook his head and snickered, "rookies," and walked away.

The next evening was to be the worst one to date. The night started out slow, but as the evening wore on, the calls became more frequent and dangerous. I made several small arrests and then had a real knock down drag out fight. However, I was able to make the arrest without hurting the suspect or myself. After that, I was looking forward to just letting the shift wind down and getting home to my wife and daughter.

I had just glanced at my watch and it was 11:55, five more minutes and I would be on my way to the house. I don't know if it was fatigue or just my imagination, but as I drove down one of the streets on my beat, I thought I saw my daughter standing on someone else's porch. I looked again but it was not my daughter as I had first thought but merely a small child about her age. She was probably only six or seven years old and dressed in an oversized shirt that hung to her feet. She was clutching an old rag doll in her arms that looked older than me.

I immediately stopped my patrol car to see what she was doing outside her house at such an hour by herself. When I approached, there seemed to be a sigh of relief on her face. I had to laugh to myself, thinking she sees the hero policeman come to save the day. I knelt at her side and asked what she was doing outside.

She said "My mommy and daddy just had a really big fight and now mommy won't wake up." My mind was reeling. Now what do I do? I instantly called for backup and ran to the nearest window. As I looked inside I saw a man standing over a lady with his hands covered in blood, her blood. I kicked open the door, pushed the man aside and checked for a pulse, but was unable to find one. I immediately cuffed the man and began doing CPR on the lady.

It was then I heard a small voice from behind me, "Mr. Policeman, please make my mommy wake up." I continued to perform CPR until my backup and medics arrived but they said it was too late. She was dead.

I then looked at the man. He said, "I don't know what happened. She was yelling at me to stop drinking and to get a job and I just had enough. I just shoved her so she would leave me alone and she fell and hit her head."

As I walked the man out to the car in handcuffs, I again saw that little girl. In the five minutes that has passed, I went from hero to monster. Not only was I unable to wake up her mommy, but now I was taking daddy away too.

Before I left the scene, I thought I would talk to the little girl. To say what, I don't know. Maybe just to tell her I was sorry about her mommy and daddy. But as I approached, she turned away and I knew it was useless and I would probably make it worse.

As I sat in the locker room at the station, I kept replaying the whole thing in my mind. Maybe if I would have been faster or done something different, just maybe that little girl would still have her mother. And even though it may sound selfish, I would still be the hero.

It was then that I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I heard that all too familiar question again, "Well, hero, what do they taste like?"

But before I could get mad or shout some sarcastic remark, I realized that all the pent up emotions had flooded the surface and there was a steady stream of tears cascading down my face. It was at that moment that I realized what the answer to his question was. Tears.

With that, he began to walk away, but he stopped. "You know, there was nothing you could have done differently," he said. "Sometimes you can do everything right and still the outcome is the same. You may not be the hero you once thought you were, but now you ARE a police officer."

Credit:
Rick Monticello
Somerdale PD
New Jersey

I rarely ever come to BTS when I do it normally to check the ?lighter side? of things.

This was a very good story it tells of true human emotion and a wish to truly help. This is more than likely what many that join LE or the military truly want to do.

Yet in today’s world this sort of story will fall to the wayside to be trampled on by those of unfeeling hearts. Today people do not want to know about the cop that did his best and is a good guy trying to help. No, instead they want to hear about the cop that takes away from those barely getting by, a cop that beats the innocent and preys on the weak. Society today is both fascinated and sickened by the type of cop that is the bad cop. Everyone needs their bogyman and scapegoat they can point to as the true villain. Today’s society does not want to look into their own hearts to understand were the true evil resides and that it is showing up in all jobs that mankind can hold. No one looks at the fact that there are tax preparers that molest kids or gather child porn nor do they care about the factory worker who beats and rapes his own child. No this society only seems to care to destroy some of the few positive images there are today. Only priests are pedophiles in the eyes of this society, only police abuse the power they have, and of course all laws are the fault of those same police officers.

No it is the cops fault when someone is speeding and they get pulled over. It is also the cops fault when someone is acting suspicious and gets some questions ask about what they are doing or going. No today society wants nothing more than to effectively castrate law enforcement and allow criminals to roam the streets. But when the criminals are set free and on the streets again the blame also falls on the laps of the police.

I am not saying there are not bad cops with what I just wrote by the way. I am simply trying to explain that there are many a good police officers out there that take a beating for the wrong reasons. These officers work hard and get a dump taken on them by society in general.

Good post rcwj75.

Raist

Great post rcwj75. No I could not handle the work you do, atleast not the physical part. As far as the emotional part I have for many years. I'm a nurse who's worked with police officers. You've brought me in battered and neglected babies. Women with broken bones and wounded spirits. Burn victims, gun shot wounds and the list goes on...........
There's been many tears and helpless feelings when all hope of survival is gone. Sometimes just holding an infants tiny hand, until he/she takes a last breath. It makes you feel the least you could do..... Is not let this precious child die alone. My thanks to All the Police Officers, for what they do on a daily basis. May God give them the strength to carry on. It takes a Special breed to be a Real Hero.

Originally posted by rcwj75
BELOW is a little story I thought I would share. Think you could handle the work we do?



"So, you want to be a policeman do you hero? I'll tell you what, when you can tell me what they taste like, then you can call yourself a real policeman." This particular phrase I had heard dozens of times. Me and my buddies all had bets about "what they taste like" actually referred to. Some believed it referred to the taste of your own blood after a hard fight. Others thought it referred to the taste of sweat after a long day's work.
As I sat in the locker room at the station, I kept replaying the whole thing in my mind. Maybe if I would have been faster or done something different, just maybe that little girl would still have her mother. And even though it may sound selfish, I would still be the hero.

It was then that I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I heard that all too familiar question again, "Well, hero, what do they taste like?" ... It was at that moment that I realized what the answer to his question was. Tears.

A little girl's mother dies and all you worry about (and cry for) is whether you'll be seen as a hero or not. That is low.

You obviously have NO IDEA what this story means. It means WE are NOT hero's...WE CAN'T always save the day...we may WANT to be hero's and save a womans life or a little girls mother but in the end we are just human and just policeman.....your mind really needs to open up and understand things before jumping to conclusions.

PS..he was crying because the mother died and he COULDN'T save her...and he knew the little girl was going to hate him...just like YOU would cry for not being the hero that day and saving the little girls mom...

Originally posted by rcwj75
BELOW is a little story I thought I would share. Think you could handle the work we do?
... Maybe if I would have been faster or done something different, just maybe that little girl would still have her mother. And even though it may sound selfish, I would still be the hero.

Why have you changed it from a girl to a boy?

You admit yourself that you are selfish and that all you thought about was how upset you were that you couldn't be a hero. That IS selfish. No cop should be a cop because he wants to be a hero like that - it means they are not fit for the job.

reply to post by UFOpsychiczebra



I'm not seeing where he did change the gender of the child. Where is that part? Please point it out.

He clearly stated that the cop was crying because he couldn't save the mom. Not being able to be a hero to the child was secondary.

I'm no fan of cops in general but this is not that topic.

No it doesnt pay enough and besides I wouldnt want to wear the same clothes everyday. Not to mention the paperwork would drive me nuts. Stick to college then go to grad school and you wont have to end up as a cop. All the cops are basically glorified meter maids with guns. All they do is pull people over everywhere on their way home from work. yea real crime fighting im sure its rough being a cop in the suburbs where i live.

Originally posted by tigpoppa
No it doesnt pay enough and besides I wouldnt want to wear the same clothes everyday. Not to mention the paperwork would drive me nuts. Stick to college then go to grad school and you wont have to end up as a cop. All the cops are basically glorified meter maids with guns. All they do is pull people over everywhere on their way home from work. yea real crime fighting im sure its rough being a cop in the suburbs where i live.

I have a degree and CHOOSE to be a cop...I didn't settle for being in law enforcement. I make PLENTY of money, have a rewarding carrer and don't show up 9-5 and do the same thing everyday...maybe that works for you..and thats cool..but before you say something stupid about a college degree and relate that to being a police officer/deputy sheriff, know what your talking about.

You don't have to like my profession or those of us who chose it....but atleast don't assume!!

i am going to try and be a special constable which is a volunteer police officer with the powers without the money. I have been cautioned twice but never been convicted i may have a less chance in my case, but i am sending application off.

Paramedic here...ex-medic as my years have lapsed now...

it's hard job we both have but there are plenty of others that are just as bad.

A nice story but it just seemed a bit weird to me to point this whole thing out. I'm not calling you out by any means but it just seems a little full of ego. I love cops and medics and firefighters. I consider them all my brothers but do me a huge favor. If you ever see one of them acting cocky, tell em to go pound sand. Nothing I hate more than a cocky public servant

And to tigpoppa. Alot of cops these days have to have a degree to even be considered and if you think they are glorified meter maids...by all means get a degree in CJ, put that vest on and give it a shot. Nothing like putting your life on the line to get your heat pumping.

I worked in a nasty set of neighborhoods and I didnt' even get a gun. Frankly, I am in the military and even in Iraq and Afghanistan most of those people don't see guns fired.

Nice try though

-Kyo

reply to post by KyoZero




[edit on 18-8-2008 by Badge01]

Well Badge I can agree somewhat that some of this sounds a bit off. The point was to tigpoppa that that job is very difficult and to compare them to meter maids is pretty bad IMO.

About controlling the situation, I agree. Medics won't walk into a suspiscious house unless we are mae aware via the cops that the scene is safe

-Kyo

I know I could never become a cop takes a certain kind I think,as my brother said it's his job to protect the rights of the prisoner,if I had to pull up to a scence were a guy just murdered his child or his wife there is no way in the world I could protect him,I would empty my service revolver in him