To all the of the law enforcement officers that are serving right now…I see you. I see you, and I hear you, because I AM you. The last several years have been trying to say the least, both because of misplaced activism and poor, cowardly leadership. Add the Covid-19 debacle on top of that, and we really have had a disastrous formula that has threatened to destroy our profession. Given all that has happened, it’s no wonder that we are facing unprecedented recruiting problems.
After all, who the hell would want to voluntarily do this?
Many of us are now in places where facts are apparently irrelevant and often ignored in order to appease a naive, destructive agenda. There is no institution in society that is stable anymore, largely because of the instability and division of current politics. Violence and chaos are the daily norm in many of our largest cities, and many of us are actively prevented from stopping it, despite knowing very well that we could.
In many places, our own leadership has faltered and capitulated- sometimes for their own political gain- in the face of resistance and demands- most of which can only be described as reckless and insane- and certainly not in keeping with the values of most Americans.
Yet, we are still out here on the streets and in the neighborhoods, engaged to the best of our ability, doing what we know deep down is right by the vast majority of people, while so called “activists” are nowhere to be found in these communities.
While we will always have a few in our number that aren’t here for the right reasons, we have overwhelmingly served with honor and dignity, despite considerable interference, ignorance, and opposition. The numbers on that are indisputable, regardless of what you might read or hear in the media.
Over my career, I’ve often said that being the police isn’t something you do, but it’s more of something that you are. It’s an identity that’s a calling, and it’s difficult to deny if it hits right with your soul. The feeling of putting on a clean uniform and looking in the mirror before heading out to the streets instills a sense of inner pride, peace, and satisfaction that is almost impossible to match in any other profession, regardless of the shit show that you’re about to step out into.
My purpose in writing this is to remind each and every one of you that it’s still possible for our profession to survive, and even thrive- if we stick to the core principles of honor, service, courage, integrity, and dignity- even in the face of a rapidly changing society. Those traits are impossible to fake, and send a very strong message to both those who support us, and those who oppose us.
If you are in law enforcement leadership, now is the time to examine, or perhaps re-examine your role and commitment to not only those who work for you, but also for those in the community that we serve. It’s time to stand up, lead, show courage, and fight for facts and values, rather than stand down and blindly accept policies and practices demanded by unqualified people and politicians that we know are harmful- and sometimes downright dangerous.
It is not the time to engage in self-serving politics at the expense of those who work under you.
The truth is, that no matter what we give in to, and no matter how much it restricts us and cripples our ability to do the job, it will never be enough. The very people that are driving this resistance are essentially lawless provocateurs that don’t even want us to exist at all. Many of them would support violence against us. It is because of them and their chosen policies that our cities are in chaos. By now, it should be obvious of their intentions. To be clear, I do not believe that these people speak for the average law abiding American.
At its core, our profession is largely about facing and resolving conflict, not avoiding it. As leaders, we cannot and should not retreat from principles that we know are correct in order to appease ignorant groups or individuals. We need to be more vocal in our communications with our elected officials, and we need to better learn to cultivate the influence of the public, who is largely on our side through all of this.
There are more fights coming on the immediate horizon, and we, as leaders, should be looking forward to them, not cowering away from them. Over the last several years, we have seen the playbook that’s been used against us.
Their tactics aren’t unpredictable. Quite the opposite, in fact.
We have survived over the years, and to be sure, our profession has changed, mostly for the better. We certainly have also had our failures. But for the most part, we have leveraged technology, training, and past experience to evolve into what we are today.
All one has to do is listen for a couple of hours to the radio traffic of any busy metropolitan jurisdiction to understand the scale at which we respond to any number and variety of emergencies from violent crimes in progress, to mental health management, to medical rolls, traffic crashes, and countless other non emergency calls for service.
I cannot name one job other than modern law enforcement that requires the same amount of accountability, liability, and responsibility under the worst possible conditions on a daily basis.
Any attempts to undermine our efforts and progress when looked at from the enormous scale of our daily operations from patrol to investigations, to specialized units, should appear quite frankly, ridiculous, given the millions of yearly calls for service that we respond to.
It’s beyond time to stand together and take back this profession from those who would compromise the safety and security of our communities in order to advance their dubious political agendas.
So, instead of looking at this as the worst possible time to be in law enforcement, I suggest a different approach. Tell yourself that this is the BEST possible time to be part of an ever-evolving calling that requires the utmost in adaptability and continuing education that despite its dangers, is at its core, one of the most rewarding and meaningful careers on the planet.
This isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. The bar should be high. It will tax you in body, mind, and spirit- but there is nothing else like it. Keep telling yourself this when you get dressed and look in the mirror with that original sense of pride that you had when you first suited up. Before long, you will sincerely believe it- and I promise that your outlook will drastically improve not only your performance on the job, but your life as well.
Stay safe. Stay alert. Stay alive.
Until next time.
Sergeant. Myron Gaudet is a law enforcement veteran and the owner of Courage Combatives.
