In old Westerns, when bad guys were coming to town, citizens told the sheriff: “You have to save us! They’ll loot, burn, destroy us!”
The sheriff vowed to do his job, but there was little chance he could defeat the gang alone. Citizens wouldn’t help: “We’re just storekeepers. This is your job.”
Somehow, the sheriff defeated the outlaws. The cowardly citizens were grateful. But the sheriff rode away, leaving the town defenseless.
The point: It isn’t just police who are responsible for maintaining law and order. That responsibility belongs to all of us. Yes, they get paid; they have the training. But unless citizens back them up, they’ll end up riding away.
We don’t have to be on the front line. But we do have to be behind them. They need to know that we appreciate them, understand how difficult their jobs are and will back them and their decisions
Will they always make the correct decision under stress, when delaying seconds could cost lives? No. None of us would. But 99% of our officers are good people trying to do the right thing.
The very few bad officers need to be fired. But show the rest you support them.
Bruce ManyEckert
