Even as a CO, it was never more than a job to me, it was not who I was, it was what I did. I guess that's why I could handle the attitudes FAIRLY FIRMLY and IMPARTIALLY because when an inmate was ****ty towards me I could disassociate myself from the uniform and the person.
I don't know that I can explain it well enough. I don't know that I can explain why there is a
us vs
them additude and a love/hate relationship with the public. All I can say is that while corrections is one of the most miserable, thankless, and difficult jobs this side of hell. . it is
not llike the enforcement side. I can say that because I have done both. worked the street, worked in a jail. It is completely 100% opposite. You'd have to do the job to understand the job. It's not a matter of "walk a mile in my shoes", it's a matter of "I can't explain it in words". . .but let me try.
We had a woman get arrested for acessory to child abuse. She originally came to the ER with her two year old daughter. Her daughter was unconcious and pretty much circleing the drain. "Mom" tried to tell the doctors and investigating officers that the girl had fallen down the stairs two days ago. Examination showed that the girl had been beaten with a blunt object repeatedly over a length of time (healing bruises). She had bleeding into the brain and further more showed evidence of rape or penetration. The "mother" had been living with a man for two months, the perpetrator, and didn't even know his last name. When a search warrant was executed, a roll of magazines that had been taped with electric tape into a baton, was found on the night table of the bedroom that "mom" shared with the perp. The impressons matched the bruses on t\he little girl's body. The little girl lived and was taken by DSS but will have signficant brain injury for the rest of her life.
What about the rapist we got that carved his initials into his victims breasts and then deficated on her.
. . .the assaults on elderly parents by children. . the animal cruelty cases. . . the parents that pimp their children for another hit of dope. . . the alcohol involved wrecks that the drunk walks away from and kills the victim or victims. . . blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah.
Add in the possibiliy of almost any encounter going south badly and your having to resort to deadly force. . . and trying your damndest not to hurt or kill someone, even if they are trying to hurt you. . . .long hours, rotating shifts, missed holidays, missed family time. . .add in the constant low level character assasination by the very public you are oath-sworn before your God to protect. . .It's no wonder most cops get burnt out after about 4 to 6 years. . . and no wonder why you get an
us versus
them additude.
It's not a job, it's a vocation. . . you got to have a calling to keep doing this. . .
I don't tell anyone what I do for a living when I am off. . . I have zero "cop crap" in my house other then uniforms and duty gear. . no mugs, posters, t-shirts etc. At the end of the day I can and do separate myself from the uniform.. . . but there is a reason all my friends are cops . . because the only people who can understand are the ones who have also seen the elephant. . .
Yea there are people in the buisness who have no buisness in it. So are in it for all the wrong reason Most of
us don't like
them either. Many times we like them less then you do.
