So, I have a friend from college who is a police officer in a major metropolitan area. She's married to a firefighter, and they're both absolutely wonderful people. We recently spoke about how stressful it's been for them lately, and I asked if she'd be willing to do a brief, informal interview with me. She graciously agreed, so I sent her a list of questions.

I plan on asking some follow-up questions, but here is the initial Q&A. If any of you have suggestions for questions you'd like me to ask, absolutely let me know in the comments. Her story is like those shared by some many in law enforcement today- important, and tragically untold.

Truman: What is your job title? How long have you been doing it?

GH: Police Officer. 3 years.

Truman: What got you interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement? Was there a single event/ factor, or did you just kind of fall into it?

GH: First, it’s definitely a calling. For years I couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy with my (corporate) career. Over time, the pieces just fell in place and I realized I was meant to be in uniform serving my community.

Truman: What is a typical day like for you? What do you often find to be the best part of your day?

GH: lol... There’s nothing “typical” about this career. Every day we are answering calls for service, being proactive when we can - when staffing and downtime allows. That’s fewer and far between these days. The best part is being a solution to someone’s problem. Whether that’s providing a solution to a civil (non-criminal) matter or getting the suspect arrested. In the times we are in, the absolute best part is being able to go home every day after shift - unharmed and safe.

Truman: There’s obviously a lot going on in the country right now. Has the recent social unrest had any impact on your job? If so, how? What about the people you work with, have they been impacted? If so, how?

GH: The civil unrest and riots have definitely put a strain on the department and drained its members. If any one of those officers on the line told you they were not scared, they’re probably fibbing. Officers get scared. We are human. We had no idea what the rioters had in store - we saw folks with body armor and weighted-down backpacks. Why do you need that for a “peaceful protest”? I'm not sure how it has effected my peers emotionally, as it’s still sort of taboo to talk about our feelings in this field, although we are getting better. Physically, I work with officers who were knocked out, had concussions, lacerated liver, collapsed lung and tons of bruises from rocks and frozen water bottles. I remember waiting to get in my spot on the line and hearing that pallets of bricks were being picked up that were planted for the protest to be used as weapons against officers.

Truman: How do you feel about the way law enforcement is currently portrayed in the media, and online? Do you see any misconceptions or mischaracterization of law enforcement? If so, what are they?

GH: Completely biased. You want to know about law enforcement? Do a ride along. That’s the best way to try to understand what we deal with day-to-day. I’m disgusted by the media. The news does not portray facts. Even before the unrest, just seeing how bad they’d get facts wrong from a call I was on caused me to stop watching it. We are being portrayed as the bad guys while criminals are being catered to and glorified. Are we in the Twilight Zone??

Truman: Based on your experience, what are some ways law enforcement could improve, be it in community relationships, training, or something else? In other words, are there changes that could be made to avoid some of these criticisms of law enforcement?

GH: There’s always room for improvement no matter what you’re doing. That’s why it’s baffling that citizens with no LE training think they know and can do our job better. Prove it.
Community Policing is a big part of our department, but it’s still a challenge. We can do all the events and welcome the public to come out but 9/10 times its only the citizens that already appreciate and understand the police who will attend. We continue to try to break down the barrier and build a relationship with the community, but it’s a two-way street. I'm open to recommendations.
With the recent events of 2020, departments have already changed or added to their training. We are always trying to improve and advance our efforts. It’s just frustrating when ignorance tries to lead those efforts. Again- do a ride-along and you'll understand.

Truman: We’re hearing a lot right now about “speaking truth” and “giving a voice” to those who don’t generally have one. It seems that in our present moment, average law enforcement officers aren’t being given much of a chance to have their voices heard, or share the truth about their jobs. Is there any message you wish people were hearing when it comes to our law enforcement officers? What truth about your job is being left out of the conversation?

GH: It’s hard. It’s physically, mentally and emotionally draining. We are constantly being called to solve people’s problems, whether it’s self-inflicted or not. It's heartbreaking responding to the same victim over and over knowing you are doing everything you can to try to help but he/she is the one that ultimately has to make he choice.
So many are jumping on the bandwagon on what the media is feeding them; others are thinking it's a fad and that it’s cool to bash the police. I had an acquaintance who wanted to discuss recent events with me. Reluctantly, I agreed. After asking me only one question, the conversation was over and the person’s defense went way up. I was the one being questioned. But that person has already made up their mind, WAY before they heard my response. Again, I don’t even have the to energy to defend myself in those situations, and when I do, it falls on deaf ears.
So many officers are being attacked. Media is silent. Don’t event get me started on sports. 9/11 just happened and I saw no recognition or remembrance. Never Forget.

Truman: Do you know anyone who has quit, or is quitting, as a result of recent events? Do you think you’ll continue your career in law enforcement? Why or why not?

GH: Absolutely, officers are dropping like flies. Some simply say “It’s not worth it anymore." The job is getting more dangerous every day. This is even a bigger issue in our department, because we are already short-staffed. So between the officers leaving and now the defunding, response times will be longer and investigating your case will take longer.
I’ll continue my career. This is truly what I’m meant to do and I love my job - yes even in this day and age. Unfortunately, I do have my limits, but I’m not ready to give up yet. I don’t put on my badge every day to just give up.

Truman: Is there anything else you want people to know, be it about law enforcement, civil unrest, or otherwise?

GH: To those blue line supporters, we need you. Please be silent no more. We Back Blue is going around the US putting on pro-police rallies. I saw video from an event in my city and it brought tears to my eyes knowing that we have the support - it’s mostly just silent. I understand that most supporters are scared to show their support. That’s understandable. However, your police need to know/see/hear you. It's what keeps us going.

Like I said, I'm definitely going to send her some follow-up questions here in the next few days. If you have any suggestions, drop them in the comments. I'm also including a link to the We Back Blue organization she mentioned. From what I see, they're doing really great work supporting officers like my friend, who aren't giving up on protecting the country that's currently turning its back on them. For sure go check 'em out 🤙

https://webackblue.com/press-release