“Police officer shot and killed a civilian.” “Police brutality is at an all-time high.” “Excessive use of force by Police officer.” It's becoming more and more difficult being the daughter of a police officer with articles like this circulating on a daily basis. My father has been a police officer for 21 years for the Rochester Police Department and he loves every second of his job. His love for his job and my love for him and everyone he works for makes it really hard to listen to the news about police officers. I'm always finding myself biting my tongue at the mostly ignorant things people have to say about officers. It's the hardest thing in the world trying to keep my composure around people who want to say cops are the one and only problem causing the violence that our country has.
People may think I am biased since my father is a police officer, but I have viewed a side of police work that most people do no get a chance to. If anything, I get the chance to be less biased and more well-rounded in regards to police officers and their actions. I have listened to the many stories my father and his coworkers have told me about the people they have talked out of suicide, the children they have saved from abusive homes, the murderers and thieves they've taken off the streets and so much more.
The sad part is no one else gets to hear those stories. You only hear of the times where the cops have to use force or you only hear about the times where a bad cop does something bad. I will be the first to agree with society that there are some bad cops out there, but nowhere near as many as the media makes it seem. It breaks my heart that people in this country have lost faith or respect for our police forces when the vast majority of them have done nothing wrong. The men and women who take on the responsibility of being a police officer deserve more respect than what we as a nation give them now.
I do not want this to become an article that is one sided where I only say “Police Officers are the greatest people in the world.” because that is simply not true. In fact, I have met some officers and thought, “Wow, you really should not be in this field.” There are people who take advantage of their power and it is wrong, sad and downright awful when that happens. I want the world to see that those are not the only types of officers in this world.
Growing up, I was always in the hospital because I am just a hot mess. I was always breaking bones or getting injured in some way or another. Every single time I was there, a few police officers who were on duty at the time would come and visit me and my father. They did not have to do this. Instead, they would check on me, make sure my father was okay and just show compassion. The police department treats everyone like a family member until given a reason not to.
In the end, I want the world to know that the police officers of this nation have no desire to harm you in any way. Our nation's officers are there to protect us all and if you get pulled over or get into trouble, just remember to tell the officer everything they need to know.
Do as they say and stay calm. They deserve the same respect that you would give a boss, parent, or a loved one. Without them, we would live in a Purge-like state every day and that is a scary thought. To put an end to things, I want the world's officers to know that I appreciate each and every single one of you and hope that one day, the world will get to see the side of this job that I get to.
