A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Law enforcement is a tough job in any environment. Since 2001, when seventy-two officers died in the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers (altogether 242 died in the line of duty that year), we’ve averaged 162 line of duty deaths annually (). We die a lot of different ways: aircraft accidents, assaults, vehicle crashes, heart attacks, gunfire, etc. And no one sugarcoats the risk in pinning on a badge. We know going in that the job is dangerous.

When I was in the academy, we talked a lot about the number of officers dying in the line of duty, often dissecting the tragic incidents that led to the deaths, seriously contemplating, “What would I have done in that situation?” And we hoped that better training, safer tactics would cut into the number and lower it.

In some respects, better training has helped, but 2016 will go down in my mind as one of the deadliest years for law enforcement not because of numbers, but because of the animosity I saw leveled at police officers. Animosity that led to ambushes like the one in Dallas that left five officers dead one July evening. There is really no training that can prepare you for a skilled gunman, set up in a secure location during an event requiring law enforcement protection, who is bent on killing as many officers in uniform as possible.

Ironically, the officers were protecting people who were protesting them.

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Dallas, there was so much commentary out there, some informed, some completely uninformed. The video that recorded the tragedy pretty much sums it up. All those people on the street protesting the cops, painting all officers with a broad brush—and when the shooting started, who did they look to for protection? To the very people they were protesting and vilifying, the people in blue. And the people in blue did not disappoint. They ran toward the danger, toward the shots, and some of them died protecting the very people who hate them.

Because that is what we do.

Even before social media, police work was visible and minutely scrutinized. Police work is 24-7; police stations never close and officers contact people all the time. They encounter situations that seem out of place, that look dangerous, that are dangerous, and they don’t look the other way. Police respond to emotional calls, to active criminal behavior; they don’t exclusively drive through safe, quiet neighborhoods. By sheer volume, odds are that some contacts will not go well. Not every citizen interaction can be handled with a please and thank-you; after all, we take people to jail.

Police work is not always pretty, but that does not mean it’s illegal, wrong, or racist. With the explosion of social media, there is more scrutiny than ever. This is good if bad cops are exposed, but horrible if there is a rush to judgment and good cops are tarnished by half the story or unfortunate situations.

When I was in uniform, we went through a tough period of anti-cop sentiment and rioting after the Rodney King verdict. It was scary and it was dangerous, but there was always the feeling that the majority of the people we served were behind us and that most people had our backs. With all this violence directed at law enforcement recently, with headline after headline proclaiming an officer shot, or an officer’s death, I wonder if the men and women in law enforcement still feel that the majority of the people they serve have their backs.

I understand people protesting when they have a legitimate grievance or pain. But in some of the protests I saw, people actively called for officers to be murdered. (One sign read All my heroes kill cops.) To call for the murder of those who put their lives on the line protecting you is beyond reprehensible.

This craziness has to stop. The problem is, police officers, for the most part, cannot do their work in secret; neither can they be selective in the calls they handle. They head out to where they are dispatched in a clearly marked vehicle in a clearly noticeable uniform. If someone wants to take a shot, it’s easy.

How can the average person help? You can pray for police; you can offer your support when you see them out in the community; and you can teach your children to respect the law and law enforcement. Our culture should be a culture that holds the law in high regard.

If you need a cop in an emergency, 911 will bring them to your aid. And cops will continue to do what they do, protecting and serving their communities. The men and women I proudly served with took their jobs seriously and rushed into dangerous situations time and time again, to help, to protect, all citizens.

Now more than ever, police officers put their lives on the line. They deserve the support of every law-abiding citizen. Let’s start our own reverse 911 and pray and support those who protect us.