There was a time when I felt it necessary to publicly voice my opinion and deep seeded feelings about life and situations that I have been through. Some of those feelings were as fresh as the moment I wrote them. There was no real thought about consequence or who I may be hurting, but the idea that getting my thoughts together and venting publically would allow me a sort of freedom and integrity. I may have placed myself in an embarrassing moment, but the embarrassment was secondary to the fact that my integrity meant more to me than perception. To be honest, the fact that I was being so honest with myself and others gave me an empowerment that overshadowed any embarrassing moment, because I was honest and open about what I felt and why I felt the way that I did. However, I have to concede to the fact that everyone has problems and issues that are no less important than my own. Everyone has a story. Everyone has something to say and sometimes it's just as important to remain silent and just listen.
Listening has become a talent that very few have, no one really wants, and everyone needs. It is this certain revelation that I have become keen on while doing the job that I believe I have been called to do. Police.
When I first started as a young charismatic police officer, I was given the opportunity to patrol some of the hardest and dangerous streets in America. My eyes and ears were trained to spot danger and react/alleviate the danger despite the cost. Fighting and bravado became a strength that was relied on while dealing with people that I looked at as indigenous. I got the job done. I made arrest and I gave people, as well as fellow officers, the peace of mind that I could go to war and accomplish the mission. Although officer safety was my first concern, one of the things that I recognized is that statistics and success was not always a winning combination.
There have been several cases where I have arrested suspects for heinous and violent crimes and I've gone home with a sense of accomplishment. In reality, I did accomplish the main objective, but did I do everything that a police officer should, not just the victims of crimes, but also for the suspect that was arrested?
Prior to graduating college with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, I attended courses that painted a different picture of who I was and what I wanted to be. These courses opened my eyes to a perspective that maybe I was blind to previously. I learned that police work was more than just making arrest. It was more than chasing down drug dealers and burglars. It was more about giving people hope. It was about showing people that my personal perspective and beliefs were not more important than the one's asking for help or the one's that I was arresting.
Over the past couple of years, I have engaged citizens who have been victims of abuse, crime, and economic ruin. I have encountered mentally ill citizens that were looking for more than medication and tolerance. By opening up my mind and seeing more than what the moment was revealing on the surface, I've learned that each encounter with a person is a chance to be an ambassador of hope for a future. I've learned that some suspects are not just dirt bags, but some of these people and suspects are people looking for answers and guidance. Some are looking for heroes and positive role models. Believe it or not, without choosing to be a hero or a role model, when pinning the badge of a police officer on my shirt everyday, I am in a position to teach and be the hero that they are expecting me to be. This is the reason that I love my job. Not only am I the one to save someone's life, but I'm also the one to show them that there is at least one person in the world that believes they are worth saving.
After all, I believe that if I can be the one to listen and show them the respect that they believe they deserve, then I'm not only correcting a behavior, but I'm also allowing them the chance to see that changing their future is possible. I have heard several testimonies from officers that have said that years later, someone that they have arrested or encountered have returned to them and told them that their encounter was a life changing moment. I can only hope that one day, I will be rewarded with the chance to give this same testimony. The majority of officers that I work with have hope that this will also be their testimony.
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