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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Why Do We Become COPS?

By Chief Watford - Cottondale Chief of Police
Why do we do what we do? I’ve never really given that question very much thought. I remember when I first joined the force. I asked myself if I was doing the right thing. This is one of those jobs if you don’t like it, you get out.
We police officers put on a uniform which symbolizes law and order. We place a shield on this uniform which gives us awesome authority to arrest, or if need be, take a life.
We are the fine line between freedom and disorder. We are seen as the good guys, or more often as the enemy. No one likes to hear a knock at their door and see a police officer standing on the other side, whether it’s with good news or bad.
We go to work every day, put on a bulletproof vest, our uniform, and a web belt that carries a loaded gun at our side along with other tools to subdue anyone out of control or who appears to be getting violent towards us or a third party.
As we get ready to go out on patrol, questions run through our minds; whether consciously or subconsciously. We all ask ourselves the same questions. "Is this the day? The day I may have to take someone’s life? Is this the day I get seriously injured, or the day that someone may try to take my life? Did I say goodbye to my family for the last time?"
Each day we go to work knowing that we just might make a difference in someone’s life. We may save a life today or stop a crime.
Most of the time we have a thankless job, but, each day we go home we thank God we made it through another day. Because we do what we do, no one did die today. Not on my watch, not today. I know I’m doing what I do best. Keeping others safe.

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