I wear a wristband with the words “Heroes Live Forever” etched into the thin blue line that goes all the way around the band.
That thin blue line symbolically represents the police officers on the street who protect us all from anarchy and chaos. Just imagine where we would all be without them. My wristband serves as a constant reminder of just how fragile law-enforcement officers and their loved ones would be without all of them doing the job we pay them to do. They are indeed heroes.
The second reason I wear this wristband is to forever keep in mind the many thousands of cops who have had their lives violently stolen from them while protecting all of us. I began working as a cop in 1962, and for the 54 years I have been in the business of policing, 5,282 police officers in the United States have been feloniously murdered by punks, perverts, predators, terrorists and psychos. That’s an average of 98 cop murders each year, and I fear it’s not going to get any better. Cop-killers and cop-haters will always be there.
Again, police officers are indeed heroes for putting their lives on the line 24/7.
Officers should not get discouraged by these tough and divided times, and by the negative publicity being generated by some politicians, members of the media, talking heads, activists and protesters. A poll of cops recently revealed that 88 percent of them today would not recommend police careers for their children. That is unprecedented and tragic, but I understand it.
On the flip side, a very recent Harris Poll found that being a police officer ranked right up there along with doctors, military officers, firefighters, scientists, nurses, engineers, priests/ministers/clergy, architects, teachers and athletes in terms of the top 10 most prestigious professions.
You don’t see politicians, members of the media, talking heads, activists, and protesters on that list, and you probably never will. Police officers are still highly revered and appreciated.
I went through this same thing in the 1960s and ’70s, and made it through. Today’s officers will, too. They just need to remember that they have our support.
Lastly, police officers must not help drive some of this negative publicity by being their own worst enemies. Here are six things they need to do to prevent this from happening:
• Be in control of their emotions.
• Use good judgment.
• Get frequent, quality training.
• Use smart tactics that are objectively reasonable and in concert with well-accepted and modern police standards.
• Know when to take off their guardian hats and put on their warrior hats.
• Stay true to their sworn oath of office and the police code of ethics.
If police officers do all these things and make it part of their routines, they will succeed, they will make it through these tough and divided times, and will continue to rank up in the top 10 most prestigious professions.
I know this to be true. Take it to the bank.
Dan Montgomery is a retired Westminster police chief.
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