I am a young black woman who had always known that black lives matter, but this summer I found out that blue ones do too. The summer of 2016 is when the Black Lives Matter hashtag is at its peak of being used; printed on t-shirts, spray painted on buildings and commented under numerous pictures on social media.

I began my journey of interning at the Detroit Police Headquarters in their Media Relations Department, working directly under “Mr. Hollywood" himself, Police Chief James E. Craig. Growing up, I watched, listened and interpreted the media as to always be true, until I started taking broadcast journalism courses which opened my eyes to how biased media outlets can be. Still, I had mixed feelings about this new internship. I knew that this internship would definitely have its pros and cons. Pros, this would be my stepping stone to getting my foot into the journalism world. I knew that this internship would be like no other; I would have access to endless networking opportunities and see first-hand, up close and personal, how police officers operated under daily stress. Cons, my friends and yes, some family members would feel like I betrayed them and sold my soul to the devil, just to make it to the top.

Honestly, I did not know how to feel about my new internship. I began to let what outsiders' perception of DPD was cloud my very own judgement. On my first day, my path began in a state of confusion about how officers were represented through media, but yet still observing and analyzing everything about police officers. I guarded my intimate opinions inside my head while maintaining an open mind to the public's views about police officers and how they were treating black lives. This was my way of succeeding at this internship.

Little did I know, but soon realized that Detroit Police Officers were not these horrible people that media across the nation showcased most of these officers to be. They are not robots; they are not pigs. They are men and women who many of us call upon to literally save our lives in some cases. Heroes? No, they are human beings who had a calling to “protect and serve" their communities. Some little kids aspire to be them, while many adults tend to despise them. But why?

The media is broadcasting police officers to be monsters. In a time when everyone is protesting “Black Lives Matter," countless of citizens are forgetting that all lives matter, including the people whom wear badges and put themselves on the line for all races. We should not be afraid of police officers, but yet respect them and their commitments to the public. These men and women who “bleed blue" have stories to tell as well. They are the eye of the storm. Without them, who would society call on in a hysteria situation? A friend or a family member to make matters worse? A bystander, who probably is already recording everything but will not lend a helping hand? All police members aren't unjustly; all black people are not innocent.

Because of the chief's strong presence in the media and his active involvement in the community, Detroit is fortunate enough not to have those types of events such as the Dallas shooting occur in our city. Yes, there have been hiccups and no one is perfect but for the most part Detroit Police Department and the communities have been on the same team; reaching for the same goals. These men and women are out in the city every single day creating relationships with neighborhoods, establishing fellowships and of course “bridging the gap."

Even though some news outlets and many citizen journalists are trying to make it seem as if it's a DPD versus Black Lives Matter issue, the city need to wake up and realize that DPD is not our enemy. DPD should thank the city for not turning their backs on public safety members and having peaceful demonstrations, leaving the massive shooting attacks in other cities.