Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
It's not just a job; it's an adventure.
Be all you can be.
Looking for a few good men.
All of those sayings are as applicable to law enforcement as they are to the branches of military service they are recruiting tools for. What law enforcement further shares in common with those branches of service is that it's a lifestyle - as much as being a serviceman or woman is.
This crossed my mind a few days ago when I had a conversation with some neighbors about what they do on the weekends. I remember all too well working rotating shifts, weekends, holidays... Even now with my current work schedule (including all activities that are work centered) I rarely have a whole weekend off. I wondered...
What would it be like to live every day knowing you had every weekend off?
That is just one piece though. Even soldiers have time when they are off duty. Sure, they're always on call and can be ordered to duty at any time, but if they're off duty, wearing civilian clothes and off post, they don't have any duties to perform. They just have to act within the confines of the law and the UCMJ. If a cop is off duty, in civilian clothes, out with his family... he's still more than likely got on a gun, carrying a badge, and walking around at a heightened alert level. Why?
Because we're never really off duty. The mind set doesn't allow it. We can be off-duty and as relaxed as we want to, but inevitably something happens to remind us that what we do is a part of who we are. It's
not just a job - but it is surely an adventure. To be a successful, aggressive, compassionate cop means being all you can be (and often more than you thought you could be). Law enforcement agencies nationwide - with the exception of where impacted by budget cuts and the economy - are always looking fora few good men
and women to pick up the banner; don the uniform;
do the job.
To those of you who do it every day I say THANK YOU. STAY SAFE. Remember Police Week is coming up in May and we need to remember all our brothers and sisters who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We need to honor their sacrifice by performing our duties to the absolute best of our abilities.
To those of you who think you might be up to doing the job every day I say: Talk to the local police recruiter. Find out if it's for you. Think about all it entails. It IS a lifestyle - not just a job. Think you're up to it?
