Editor's note: Through the end of the year, we will be posting a series of articles that focus on common-sense officer safety. Use them for briefing and squad meetings, and send them to everyone you know who wears a badge.
Law enforcement is a dangerous profession. Nobody took this job with a guarantee that they would come home safe at the end of every day. We know the risk, we accept the risk—and sometimes we even delight in the risk.
The risk becomes unacceptable, however, when we make choices that increase the danger and the likelihood that we could die today, during this shift, or on the way to the next call. Look around! Cops are being caught on camera texting while driving, speeding just because they can, and not wearing body armor because they never “needed” it before. We load up our police cars with technology designed to help us be more efficient, without giving much thought to how we will use that technology while traveling at high speeds or through red lights at dangerous intersections.
It’s simple: Wear your belt, watch your speed, wear your vest, figure out “What’s Important Now” and remember, complacency kills.
If only it were that easy! How many more times are we going to read or hear a story about a cop who was driving way too fast only to lose control and die in a crash? How many more stories do we need to hear about cops who don’t wear seatbelts because someone once told them it’s “tactically” unsafe? How many more cops are going to die because of a careless decision they made?
Every officer lost is a human tragedy. They leave behind a family that will never be the same. They leave behind a brotherhood at their agency and across the country that will never be the same. They leave behind a community that mourns for them and will never be the same. Even more tragic is how many times each year a cop dies because they were in a hurry, not paying attention or they didn’t follow the most simple of officer safety techniques.
Simple—just not easy. It takes commitment.
Live in the moment—every second, every minute, every hour of every day. Focus on the task at hand. Make the best decision you can based on the information you have. SLOW DOWN! We can’t help each other or the public if we don’t make it to the call safely.
Just because you lived through the last bad decision doesn’t guarantee that you’ll live through the next one. Let’s honor those officers whose names are inscribed on the wall by not joining them there because of a poor decision to speed or to not wear a seatbelt. Don’t be afraid to have courageous conversations with fellow officers that you see making bad decisions or taking unnecessary chances. The time to do something is now. All drama aside, this is truly a matter of life and death. Remember Below 100: The time is now!
