The Great Police Officer

[Guest guest]

This was sent to me by one of my officers, Mark

Shepherd, and I thought I'd pass it along.

Jen Grieshaber

THE GREAT POLICE OFFICER

Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I

seem to fit neatly into the category where you've

placed me.

I'm stereotyped, standardized, characterized,

classified, grouped, and always typical.

Unfortunately, the reverse is true..

I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I'm the

bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with

my traditional enemy..the criminal!

You accuse me of coddling criminals: until I catch

your kids doing wrong. You may take an hour for lunch

and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out

as a loafer for having one cup. You pride yourself on

your manners, but think nothing of disrupting my meals

with your troubles.

You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in

traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and

I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic

laws...but you've never gotten a single ticket you

deserve.

You shout " foul " if you observe me driving fast to a

call, but raise the roof if I take more than ten

seconds to respond to your complaint.

You call it part of my job if someone strikes me, but

call it police brutality if I strike back. You

wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a

tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix,yet

you're always willing give me pointers on the law.

You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody

nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it

without batting an eye.

You yell something's got to be done to fight crime,

but you can't be bothered to get involved.

You have no use for me at all, but of course it's OK

if I change a flat for your wife, deliver your child

in the back of the patrol car, or perhaps save your

son's life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many

hours overtime looking for your lost daughter.

So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox

and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling

me every name in the book, but never stop to think

that your property, family, or maybe even your life

depends on me or one of my buddies.

Yes, Mr. Citizen, it's me...the lousy cop!

The author of this article was Trooper Brown

of the Virginia State Police.

He was killed in the line of duty two months after

writing the article.

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