Over the past few years, law enforcement agencies have been under attack by the public and the media. Every day on the news you could expect to see something negative about law enforcement. Where are the positive news stories about the police? They are basically non-existent.

Everyone wants to see the bad side of law enforcement and refuses to accept that there are good cops. Believe it or not, good cops still exist. Crazy, right? Now, in no way am I denying the fact that there are dirty cops in this world, because there are, but there are more good police officers than there are bad.

If there are good cops in this world, then where are they at? You never see them on the news, social media websites, or anything like that. The reasoning behind that is that good cops do not bring in the page views like those of a bad cop. People are so used to seeing police officers doing bad, that when they see an officer doing good they ignore it, because they think it is just for show and that police officers don’t actually care about the community. Police officers are doing good things all of the time for the good of the community, but it never gets noticed.

Police officers are out here shooting basketball with your children. They are having dance battles with young men in parking lots. They are showing up at car meets, turning on their lights, popping their hoods, and socializing with all of the other people their showing off their cars. Police officers are stopping people on hot days and handing out ice cream. I could go on and on about all of the good that police officers are doing, but they are just doing their job.

140 officers died in the line of duty in 2016 alone. They died serving our country. They died trying to protect you and your family. As an aspiring law enforcement officer, I see the raised risks of working in the field of criminal justice. People question my decision all of the time, and they tell me that I’m making a big mistake. I know what I want, and that is to protect and serve the great county of the United States. I am willing to risk my life to save other’s just like those 140 men and women did in 2016 and years before. This country needs protecting now more than ever, and I know that I am not going to be able to do it on my own, but there are people out there that will have my six just like I will have theirs.

My word to you is to thank a police officer for all they do for you and your community. Their work goes unnoticed a majority of the time, and a simple thank you could mean so much to them.

Just as side note: saying that all cops are bad cops is no different than saying that all Muslims are terrorists, all black people are in gangs, and all white people are racists. So, the next time that you want to say that all cops are bad, just remember what you are truly saying.

Thank you to every law enforcement officer that has served, is serving, and will serve. I commend your bravery and selflessness.

God bless our law enforcement officers, and God bless the United States of America.