Recently in the news, it seems like a new report is out about how a police officer was killed in the line of duty. Whether they are killed during protests or killed patrolling their communities. These awful tragedies have been occurring more frequently and affecting more people's lives. Five officers were killed, and seven more were wounded at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas on July 7, 2016. In more recent news, three officers were killed along with three more officers wounded in an attack in Baton Rouge, Louisiana only July 17, 2016. These killings all happening in just two weeks apart. These tragedies seem to be occurring more frequently following the increased reports of police brutality. These killings are due to harsh discrimination of police. The killings are tearing the country apart and dividing it into two sides.
As a daughter of three law enforcement officers, I see the sides of these men and women that many do not get to see. When a police officer leaves their home to begin their shift, they are aware that they might not make it home for dinner, but they still put on the uniform day in and day out. They receive hatred and discrimination daily, and that is something people rarely take into consideration.
When an officer is potentially put into a life threatening position he or she must rely on their training and sometimes the outcome isn't always great. Officers are often put into a negative stereotype, which a majority of them do not belong in. Many of these men and women never intend on being put in a spot where they must take lethal action, but unfortunately, it does happen. Although there are some bad apples in law enforcement, a majority of them are willing to put their life on the line for yours.
My mom was a violent crimes detective since I was four all the way up until I was 16. She would often get called out in the middle of the night to investigate a crime. I never worried about if she would be okay because these types of tragedies weren't as common a couple of years ago. Now before she leaves I make sure to say "Be safe and I love you" because I'm not sure if she will come home and that scares me. As a cop, her and her colleagues see many opportunities to give back to their community. One of the biggest ways they give back is through "Shop With a Cop" and this usually happens around Christmas time. The officers volunteer their time, and take kids with families that are struggling to buy gifts shopping. Each kid gets 200 dollars to spend. When I see this, it reminds me how much they really care about their community.
I didn't write this article to persuade you that all police officers are good but rather to remind you that they are people and that they all have families waiting for them at home. We need to quit dividing as a nation and come together as one. All of the violence and hatred we see on the news needs to be put to rest.