In the Line of Duty

I never dreamed it would be me, my name for all eternity, recorded here at this hallowed place, alas, my name no more my face. "In the line of duty", I hear them say; my family now the price will pay. My folded flag stained with their tears; we only had those few short years. The badge no longer on my chest, I sleep now in eternal rest. I never dreamed it would be me, and with a heavy heart and bended knee; I ask for all here from the past, dear God, let my name be the last.
- George Hahn, Retired Sergeant, Los Angeles Police Department

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the 32nd Annual California Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony in Sacramento. The ceremony honored the nine California Peace Officers killed in the line of duty in 2007, as well as ten "peace officers from the past", including a constable killed on May 12, 1901.

With hundreds of officers outside the State Capital standing at attention, bagpipers played "Amazing Grace" as they led the procession toward the memorial monument. When they past, the only sound that could be heard was that of cameras flashing as the families of the fallen officers were escorted along the "Walk of Honor" to the memorial monument.

The ceremony continued with heartfelt presentations by state representatives, including Governor Schwarzenegger, a local Sheriff, who served as the keynote speaker, and the president of the California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation. Not surprisingly, duty and sacrifice were the focus of the presentations.

At the conclusion of the ceremony was the traditional 21-gun salute, playing of "Taps", and retiring of the colors.

The memorial monument itself is a powerful symbol. It consists of three bronze figures, each approximately nine feet tall representing the more than 1,400 peace officers that have died in the line of duty. The figures depict a county sheriff from the 1880s, a state traffic officer from the 1930s and a municipal police officer from the 1980s. The figures watch over a life-sized bronze figure of a woman seated on a bench, comforting her child. The woman and child represent the grief stricken families of the fallen officers.

Reflections

Of course, seeing the families that these fallen heroes left behind deeply saddened me. But it also reminded me of how proud I am to be part of a profession so critical to society that we are willing to risk being taken from those closest to us. After all, what more honorable profession is there?

Listening to the presentations caused me to reflect on the importance of officer safety. We are taught from the first day of the academy that nothing is more important than our personal safety, but is that really true?

Think about it, if your safety was the number one priority, would you drive toward a report of shots fired? Of course not; you would drive, as fast as you could in the opposite direction, like any sane person would do!

While officer safety is critical, it's not always the most important consideration. In fact, that willingness-even eagerness to place ourselves between citizens and danger is the most important attribute an officer can posses. It's what makes a cop a cop.

Obviously there's a big difference between unknowingly or carelessly jeopardizing your safety and making a conscious decision to take a calculated risk to achieve a tactical advantage. Intentionally parking directly in front of a residence where a domestic violence incident is reportedly occurring is not taking a calculated risk; it's taking an unnecessary risk! Parking in front of the residence offers no advantage to the officer or to the potential victim inside the residence.

On the other hand, leaving a position of cover to rescue a downed officer is a risk we all must be willing to take, assuming we have the tactical ability to accomplish the task and we have an opportunity to do so. In a situation where there is no cover and the bad guy is armed with an AK-47, immediately attempting to rescue the officer might do more harm than good, since you might also need to be rescued. This split second risk assessment could be the difference between life and death.

Sadly, peace officers will continue to be killed in the line of duty. The fact that you use appropriate officer safety practices is no guarantee that your name won't be etched into a memorial monument next year.

All you can do is prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally to survive a life and death encounter. Remember that going home at the end of the shift is not a given. No one starts their shift thinking it's going to be their last. But, when you're getting geared up, you should consider that you might be faced with a deadly threat during the shift; the outcome of which, perhaps more than anything else will be dependent on you. Always have a plan B and never give up!

Please remember these fallen heroes, their families, and all that have made the ultimate sacrifice: