I want to make a difference. Most police officers decide on a life of public service for this most basic reason, they want to help. These are citizens who have a desire to be the one who stands up to the schoolyard bully and says, “no more.” They are people who have a drive to protect those who can’t protect themselves. For these guardians law enforcement is a calling. These honorable men and women have an appreciation for the importance of defining right and wrong in order to protect and defend a civil society. For those of us who take the big picture approach we recognize law enforcement as a noble profession and worthy of our admiration, our respect, and our support.
Unfortunately, the current media-driven hysteria promoting the false narrative that all police officers are out of control racists and our nation would be better off if we dismantle law enforcement, permeates most every conversation from the squad room to the dinner table. Extremists are calling for the defunding of our police departments and in some jurisdictions that process has already begun. From several communities in Maine who have lost their SRO positions to NYC who gouged their police budget by a whopping $1B, government officials are acquiescing to the hysterical demands. These are big and powerful anti-police messages and unfortunately, they resonate throughout our law enforcement community.
The anti-police rhetoric coupled with government officials who tacitly agree through acquiescence, is undermining the confidence and commitment of our police officers. These dedicated men and women are not feeling supported and worse yet, they believe they literally and figuratively have targets on their backs. The rancor has included outlandish calls for removing police officers from qualified immunity, a protection all government officials share, to the reopening of decades-old officer involved shootings by activists’ DAs. To say morale among our LEOs is low is an understatement.
During the recent protests some of our officers had bottles of urine thrown on them in a vile attempt to provoke an unrestrained reaction by law enforcement. Thankfully, our police officers have more discipline than that and they stood there stoically and held the line. From their skewed and one-sided perspective, the media cameras would have used an incident like that as righteous justification for more lawless protests.
This past summer, on a Sunday night the Portland Police Department’s parking garage was targeted in a drive-by shooting.
With all the vitriol slamming our police along with the standards of a civil society, our police officers are at-risk for losing sight of why they became police officers in the first place. Too many of them are suffering from the idiom, “Can’t see the forest for the trees”. They can’t see the big picture because they are focused on the details – the constant churning of anti-police headlines. That is, many of them have forgotten why they joined in the first place because everything and everyone seems to be against them.
For too many police officers there are two possible responses under these conditions. Both pathways are driven by the need for survival. They can become bitter, angry, and disgruntled and withdraw from doing their job. These officers will white-knuckle it to retirement doing little more than putting on their uniforms and showing up for work. Or, once they lose sight of the noble nature of serving as a police officer they become disappointed, demoralized, dejected, and determined to find another line of work. Either way, the big loser is a civil society. Here is why we are writing to you today. We are respectfully asking you to make a specific and concerted effort to repeatedly remind our police officers to cling to the big picture. Remind them that our society needs them, and their work remains the cornerstone of a safe and civil society. Assure them most of the 1.3 million Mainers support and respect them. Reaffirm the honorable reasons they joined are still as important today as they were when they took the oath to uphold our Constitution and enforce our laws. Tell them you have their backs and you support them and their mission. Every police officer in Maine wants to hear that message right now.
SIX EASY TIPS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCE
- Don’t listen to or watch the national news.
- Limit your exposure to local news.
- Reduce your alcohol intake.
- Watch funny movies.
- Make the time to exercise daily.
- Develop friendships outside of law enforcement.
Sending support and comfort to all impacted by this tragic loss. Thank you for this heartfelt statement.
NEVER NEVER NEVER give up. Copline is answered 24/7 by retired officers. 1-800-267-5463. You don’t need to have suicidal thoughts…
It is useful for the police to realize that they are only police part of the time, and for a…
Really enjoyable and helpful. Thank you.
This does a disservice to applicants who might need to know something that can now not even be discovered, much…
Perhaps one way to recruit people is to let them know that if they can serve, and handle the job…
One of the most difficult challenges we face today as police officers in keeping morale up and or encouraging new…
One of the most difficult challenges we face today as police officers in keeping morale up and or encouraging new recruits to join is the relentless fact that we are criticized and judged on how we do our jobs by people who have never done or could not do our job.
Perhaps one way to recruit people is to let them know that if they can serve, and handle the job in this very difficult time, they will be the embodiment of the phrase, “Maine’s finest.” The work calls for even better people than in the past. That could help, much like Marines always say they recruit the best. Just a thought from an attorney who wanted to be a cop but couldn’t run with a darn.