Be sure to thank a cop

Father David Epps's picture

In June, I attended and delivered the invocation for the graduation exercises for police cadets at the Fulton County Public Safety Training Center in College Park, Georgia.

I have prayed at nearly every graduation, and there are several each year, since 1993. Nineteen graduates from the police departments of East Point, Fairburn, MARTA., Union City, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Fulton County Marshal’s Office, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office were about to graduate, be sworn in as peace officers in the state of Georgia, and start a new career as law enforcement officers.

The graduation speaker was the well-educated (bachelor’s degree from Auburn, master’s degree from Troy State) and lovely (yes, I realize I am ordained and shouldn’t notice such things) Deputy Chief Chandi Ashmore of the Fulton County Schools Department of Public Safety.

Just before she began her address to the graduates, Chief Ashmore asked them all to stand. She said, “Now turn to that officer on your left and say, ‘Thank you.’ Now turn to the officer on your right and say, ‘Thank you.’” Then she said, “You may be seated.”

After the class took their seats she continued, “That may be the last time that anyone every thanks you for doing your job as a police officer.”

She went on to tell them that most of the public would never express their thanks to them for putting their lives on the line every day. Most would never express appreciation even when the officers did something extraordinary or heroic.

“Even your supervisors,” she informed the soon-to-be police officers will rarely say “thanks” for doing a good job. “It shouldn’t be that way, “she said, “but that’s the way it is.

As I sat on the dais, I realized that she was absolutely right. Having served as a law enforcement chaplain for 17 years, I know that one of the major issues in low officer morale, the relatively high turnover rate, and the depression that often occurs in cops is due to feeling under-appreciated and undervalued.

It’s not unusual for the public to express appreciation to firefighters and emergency service personnel. After all, the good they do is apparent and firefighters and paramedics don’t lock people up.

But having ridden in patrol vehicles for several police agencies over the years, I can attest that praise and appreciation is as rare as a pork chop at a bar mitzvah.

Even when a cop gives chase and apprehends a criminal, the media will scrutinize his or her every move. If he fires his weapon to save his life or the life of another, the public will put the officer on trial and, even if the incident is declared to be a “good shoot,” there will still be a clamor from some people for his head.

Several years ago, during a terrible flood, I was out with sheriff’s deputies as they blocked the road over a bridge they feared might wash away. I don’t recall anyone saying to the officers who stood in the driving rain, wind and lightning, “Oh, thank you for trying to save my life!”

No, most just grumbled, cast a surly glance at the officer who was cold and soaked to the bone, and turned around and drove away. Some even became angry at the cops who refused to let people on the bridge which was already covered with water.

Recently in a local community a city official was arrested for “driving while intoxicated.” The results? Mostly, the citizens complained that the cops who made the arrest were at fault and should have been “catching criminals” instead of harassing honest citizens.

Which, of course, is what many of the law-breakers on the highways say when they get a ticket for speeding or some other infraction.

What about the times a teen is taken into custody or stopped for questioning? Well, then the police are accused of “picking on the kids.”

The cops, you see, just can’t win. If they do their job and enforce the law, direct and divert traffic, arrest people and save lives, their reward is complaints.

If they lose heart and quit doing their job then, eventually, they’ll lose their job. In many cases, even their friends turn on them, or, worse, ask them to “fix tickets” (which they cannot do) and is why most cops have only cops for friends.

And, as Chief Ashmore pointed out, in many agencies the officers do not even receive appreciation from their superiors, who ought to know better since they were once on the streets themselves.

So, the cops valiantly slog through, fulfilling their oath of office, knowing, even if anyone never says so, that they are the only men and women standing between decent people and the chaos of domestic anarchy.

In the local community where I serve as chaplain, if a citizen has someone breaking into her home at 2 a. m. and calls 911, a warrior with a badge, who will put his life at risk for someone that he does not know, will be there in three minutes or less.

He knows he may die that night on that call, but he comes anyway, ready to meet whatever evil or fate awaits him.

He’s a police officer. It’s what he does every single day. Somebody, once in a while, ought to say, “Thank you!”

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Submitted by skyspy on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 5:44pm.

Thank you for once again bringing to our attention how great our police officers are.
I have told this story many times but, I think it bears repeating:
I personally have had the frightening experience of having my home/property invaded late at night. You have no idea how frightening that is until it happens to you. The first officer pulled up as I was talking to the dispatcher, with 2 other cars quickly behind.
Unless you have had your home broken into, you have no idea how frightening this really is. They had these little punks wrapped up in under 4mins.,....that is from the time I called 911.
We need you guys more than you need us. Thank you for keeping crime away.....for the criminals reading this have you noticed how quickly criminals are caught here??? Um yeah not a good place to be, they always catch you idiots within 24hrs.

Thank You PTC Police and Fayette County Sheriffs Dept.

Submitted by Sailon on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 3:47pm.

People usually have opinions of police due to their experience with them, or when policemen break their vows more than normal times, or are like Zionists in their application of the law. Of course, all police then are judged the same by those people. Frankly, 99% of the problems with police are their supervisors fault, not theirs. They are allowed to do what they do, over and over. Again, usually only a few. Police should be paid 50% more than they are. Then, we should expect 50% more efficiency, but under a well thought out plan that works. Unfortunately, management in police work hate change. They also hate to discipline low paid officers, since management can make twice as much money, or more. Pay them more and they will do the job without increasing headcount year after year due to poor management.

Submitted by skyspy on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 5:47pm.

Can't you go back where you came from? They don't want you either do they? That figures.

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 6:13pm.

They are like Zionist in their application of the law

Highgreen.... you are a piece of work. That doesn't even make sense. Instead of correcting my syntax and spelling how about you concentrate on the quality and content of your...your.. um...writings?

The good news for you dude is that the PTC Law Guys will put their lives on the line for someone even like you. What would you do for them?


mudcat's picture
Submitted by mudcat on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 6:27pm.

And that's all I want to say about that.
meow


Submitted by Sailon on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:03pm.

Don't know him. Heard of him, though. Not me. On that one I will leave this blogging for reasons just such as this one. I said before today that I wasn't getting anything from this site and would leave. There are approximately no bloggers here who want to bring up or comment upon trying to change the mess we have gotten into both nationally and locally. Just about themselves mainly, or to call others names. There isn't even any sense of humor here!

Basmati's picture
Submitted by Basmati on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:27pm.

Mudcat uses "Steve Brown" as an epithet for anyone who disagrees with her.


Spear Road Guy's picture
Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:47pm.

Actually, Mudcat wants to be Steve Brown. This is manifest in a deep ceded psychological condition enduced by envy.

Mudcat is one of the worst blog bullies on this site. Bad Mudcat!

Vote Republican


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:09pm.

I see issues with jobs lost due to shipping overseas and refusal to stop the illegals.

I also see we had to take Saddam out and hit Afghanistan. But we need to be out of Iraq soon.

Problem is, how do we get it done?

We would not have the ME issues if Clinton had not dismatled intelligence and had taken Bin Laden out when he was offered his head on a platter.

We indeed have a mess. But what are the answers? I don't have them.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Basmati's picture
Submitted by Basmati on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:33pm.

1. Move all American out of the "Green Zone" and into the desert.
2. Remove all ground troops (orderly withdrawal) except perimeter security and helicopter support for the desert base.
3. Bring in every available helicopter in the US arsenal.
4. Announce to the Iraqis they are on their own, the police may call in US helicopters for close air support as needed 24/7.
5. This offer good for the next 18 months, the clock starts now, you Iraqis best get your ground defenses trained and in order because you won't have those choppers to help after 18 months.

It's better than the current meat grinding war of attrition, remove IEDs from the equation (no ground troops to blow up) and the scale tilts decisively to the Americans again.


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 8:37pm.

Is an idiot. One of the too many Generals that make it by politics, not talent.

I think we have another poster far more talented to address this indepth than I. So, I will leave it to him.

----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 07/14/2006 - 3:18pm.

I, for one appreciate the police. And the Militry.

I would like them to enforce the left lane laws and reckless driving on those trying to do a million thing while pretending to drive.

We could not have a society safe to go out into without them.

Thanks guys. The few bad don't represent you all.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


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