ARTICLE
Like many of you, I have something that I just can’t get off my mind. I keep wondering if maybe it’s just me who is bothered by it. Or maybe, just maybe, others are as concerned as I am. But something is wrong in this country, and we need to fix it for everyone’s sake. One of the things that is very important to a community is safety. That relaxed feeling of being safe — safe at work, safe in your home, safe at sporting events and safe just walking your street at night. It’s that feeling of comfort in knowing when things get a little crazy, some well-trained professionals will show up and make it right. We sometimes take it for granted, but it’s a wonderful gift most of us enjoy here in the Lehigh Valley. It’s a place where people, for the most part, care about and respect one another and where you can do business, enjoy your community and feel like you’re protected. Thankfully, there’s much more love than hate. One thing my father was big on was respect for authority. As an Italian American in a very law-abiding Pennsylvania German region, he was convinced that the last thing you needed was a reputation. He was proud of our name, and he didn’t want any of his kids giving it a black eye. So, when I was in front of the police for a traffic stop or general idiot-kid stuff, it was, “Yes sir, no ma’am.” I did what I was told. I made sure any police encounter I had would end well, because if my dad got wind of it, I was in even bigger trouble. It was the old-school family approach. Discipline started at home and you were “guilty til proven innocent” in my dad’s court. If I had a problem with a teacher or police officer, I knew that I better figure out fast what to do to change the dynamics, or my dad would. And it wouldn’t be pretty. In those days, the world was less litigious and police officers handled many situations on the spot. They didn’t have to watch every word they said or behave perfectly in very imperfect, intense situations. They taught you lessons on the spot about right from wrong. If you were an idiot, they told you that you were. If you were disrespectful, they “learned you some religion,” as the old saying goes. Those were the rules — and although not flawless — they pretty much worked. I’m not saying it was a perfect approach, but I do know the world was a safer place. Like so many back then, we never locked our front door. A home alarm system was totally unnecessary. I should add we were a fun-loving, sometimes crazy, mostly dysfunctional family of 10 and anyone trying to break into our house would have been seriously outnumbered. Lately, officers are being shot way too often. Already this year, 24 officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. They’ve been attacked while trying to calm crowd situations, hit by idiots fleeing traffic stops, and ambushed while responding to domestic calls. More and more, they are treated with less respect. We hear of restaurant employees refusing them service. Can you imagine if officers did that to us? What if they refused to come when we called during a robbery? Or if they just went home when knife-wielding maniac threatened them? They don’t. They just come and come quickly. They come into highly emotional, seriously dangerous situations. They’re not perfect, but when the-you-know-what hits the fan, they’re there. I’m no security expert, but I do know we’re going down a bad road. I know really good families that were honored to be third and fourth generation police officers. Good people — proud to serve. Those days will end if we don’t realize how important their work is and give them the support they deserve. Most officers don’t do this work for the money. They do it because they want to make the world a safer place. Look, I’m no dummy. I get that there are officers who don’t always do the right thing. But there are also lawyers, doctors, accountants and chamber presidents who fall short. The difference is, we are not often facing life or death. Society does not require lawyers, accountants and other professionals to wear body cameras. Is there any professional out there just dying to have a body cam follow you around all day?! In this 21st century, almost every profession is changing at a breakneck pace. You better adapt your strategy in this rapidly changing universe, or your company/organization won’t be here very long. Same goes for the public sector. Law enforcement must change at an equally rapid pace, and I see many of our departments working hard to do just that. This is a great Lehigh Valley, and we’re all in this thing together. Police officers are our neighbors, our friends. They’re black, white, Asian, male, female with spouses who love them and kids who adore them. So, next time you see an officer, thank him or her for what they do. They all pretty much have the same reaction. A humble thank you, and off to do their business. They’re in a business in which they’re willing to risk their lives to save yours. Read the original article here.