America’s police have a tough job, which their family and friends know. A big role requires big responsibilities.
Though more and more police are choosing to walk away from the force in the face of constant criticism and lack of government support.
Here’s what’s happening…
A Cop’s Story
Richmond, Virginia police officer Brian Lande knows the frustration of being a police officer in America all too well. Working within the force for years, he has been through several tough cases and experienced the normal stresses of the job.
Last year, he had to interfere in a fight between two drunks to avoid tragedy, something which left him a bit shaken.
Eight years ago, Lande experienced another similar case. He had to draw his gun to stop a deadly fight between two drunks armed with a wrench and a hatchet. The world is not just about drunks, of course.
Lande has already had to act to stop criminals. Once, an assailant, in an attempt to escape, jumped around several backyards in a quiet neighborhood. Lande stopped the criminal by telling him he was under arrest and drawing his firearm.
Lande said he had to draw his Glock 17 numerous times, but fortunately, he never had to pull the trigger.
As a police officer, you have the role of ensuring the safety of everyone around you. Exercising this profession of risk and high responsibility is not for everyone and it sometimes does require using deadly force or at least being ready to use it.
"A big part of what’s prompting police to leave America’s big cities is the perception the public has turned against them…only seven percent of police officers would advise their kids to go into law enforcement." https://t.co/rdfLzOtiRP
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) January 20, 2023
Being a Cop is Hard
The fact is that working to keep law and order, save the lives of others, and having to be ready for any situation is not easy.
Currently, police officers do not feel secure in doing their jobs. Many say it is no longer certain there will be support from superiors or the department, should an incident or fatality occur on the job.
This possibility has caused many police officers to leave their positions behind. Lande said at the beginning of 2022, he thought about leaving the job which, until then, was his dream.
According to surveys, many police officers have actually left their jobs across the US. The exodus of police has increased, as only 7% of officers say they would advise their kids to become cops.
In the past, the police career was well-regarded and desired by many children. After several events that discredited the sector, the police profession is no longer a dream for many people.
The protests over the 2020 death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter caused many to change their view of the police and have only fed into the negative image of the profession.
“The risks NYC police officers face for simply doing our jobs have grown exponentially…It’s another reason you’re seeing a mass exodus from the NYPD. Many cops don’t want to work in an environment where attacks on police officers have become normalized.”https://t.co/gAwYFf0SbA
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) January 15, 2023
The Bottom Line
At that time, several state governments made some kind of reform of their local police and even bought into the idea of “defunding” the police.
Currently, the lack of funding for the sector has only worsened the entire picture of the exodus of police officers. This problem is only going to get worse until the police start getting the support they deserve.
This article appeared in FreshOffThePress and has been published here with permission.
