I started my career in 2005 and little did I know the new world I would be exposed to. The phrase “being thrown in the lion’s den” bares true as it relates to being a rookie in law enforcement. I was completely innocent in my thoughts of the world and even in our very own community. I learned very quickly that the world and our community is not peaches and cream! As I reflect on my first day until now I realize that the world can be a very rough and cruel place. The biggest thing that I notice is the change in me. You become mentally desensitized to the bad calls and also physically worn out due to mental exhaustion. You learn to cope with these changes and continue to be professional as possible on every call. A person not in a first responder field of work may see up to 2 critical incidents in their life, but as for law enforcement, they can see in upwards of 700 critical incidents in a single career. Now, with that being said I have made the mental health of deputies at this office priority. We now have policies in place and contracted services to make sure your deputies are taken care of. FMRT Group for example, in Greenville NC does all of our pre-hire screenings and evaluations. After any critical incident deputies are offered to talk with someone and have a fit for duty evaluation. We have had multiple deputies take advantage of this service and it has truly been a blessing. I say all of this to bring the point home, “give a little grace to law enforcement” you have no clue what call they just encountered before they arrived to help you. We work in people’s worst moments for 12 hours a day and realize all the bad things that are happening to citizens on a daily basis, which is why we remain as professional as possible no matter what. Law enforcement is no different; we are all human beings and have feelings, so please give grace, give a hug, or even ask how they’re doing. Thank you all and God Bless!
Grace for Cops
