Police officers have had it rough the past couple years. Don’t get me wrong, being a police officer, or any officer of a law enforcement agency is a tough job. But these past couple years have been especially hard with anti-police movements and people not fully understanding what it’s like to be in the police officer’s shoes at a certain time. One thing that can slip people’s minds is that police officers have families, too. They have families, friends, and lives outside of the job. A lot of people just see them as enforcers of the law and representatives of the government, and think that by attacking police officers for doing their jobs, they are protesting the government. You may think that’s all you’re doing, but what you’re also doing is attacking someone’s husband, wife, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or child.

When I say goodbye to my father before he leaves for work, I always tell him to be careful. Now, some may think that’s just what you say. It’s like a goodbye or I love you. But when I say it, or when my mother says it, we mean it. Not a lot of children have to worry about their parents at work. Yes, you have the occasional accident, but when it comes to police work, it’s all unexpected. He doesn’t know what type of shift he’s going into. One night, it can be quiet and maybe one or two noise complaints. Another night, it may be a domestic, assault, or any number of more severe crimes.

Especially these days, I worry about my father. He does a hard job, and he does it to make sure that the world is a safer place for those who live in it. Even if those who live in it don’t want his help. His position is very fragile, especially today. Every action the police take is being recorded somehow. They are always under surveillance, even if they don’t know it. Usually, the phones and cameras come out at just the right time when the police officers do their jobs, and do it right. By this I mean, if a suspect attacks a police officer, and the police officer retaliates to defend himself or herself or the citizens in the area, the incident will only be recorded when the police officer is striking, making it look like they are the bad guy.

They are just doing their jobs. My father is just doing his job. He doesn’t wake up before his shift and think, “Today I’m going to use the most intense force I can to arrest the first person that crosses me.” He has a family. They all have a family, friends, and hobbies, just like everybody else. They aren’t shut down at the end of shift and put in a cell like Robocop. They go home and run errands, make dinner, play with their kids, and throw back a beer or two with their friends. They are people, just like you and me.

Some people could argue that all police are bad, and that they are out to get those who have “done nothing wrong”. That’s like saying all white people are part of the KKK, or all black people are gangbangers and gangsters and just want to cause trouble. I’m not going to lie, there are cops out there who use excessive force because they are power hungry. There are cops out there who have a prejudice. Just because there are a small amount of cops that do that, doesn’t mean that they are all like that. Not all cops are bad, not all white people are in the KKK, not all black people are gangbangers, and not all Muslims are suicide bombers.

It’s scary that this has to be elaborated on. Listen to what your parents told you when you were young, “The police are there to help.” That’s exactly what they do, and that’s why I aspire to be in law enforcement one day.