BEHIND THE LINES OF DUTY.....

I have been in law enforcement for ten long and gruelling years! I have yet to don the uniform once though! You see, whilst my husband and friends are the ones IN the line of duty, I, am behind the lines of duty!

No law enforcement or emergency service official is ever truly out there on his own- there will always be someone right there with them- to bring them home!

It's not the colleague covering his back, or the supervisor giving orders and instructions- its the wife, the girlfriend, the child back home (and yes, boyfriend, husband, mom or dad too..)- constant reminders to be safe, to be at your best, and mostly to remember that you are human above all else.

When you sign up for a career in an emergency service, you not only sign yourself up, you sign your entire life, your wife, your husband, your current (or future) kids as well- and this is not something to be undertaken lightly, or for the feint of heart.

Law enforcement is a calling. And it usually comes calling on birthdays, or wedding anniversaries, or in the middle of your two-minutes-apart-contractions. Thats just what it does, this "Law Enforcement"!

But it takes a special man (or woman) to heed that calling and place not only his/her life, but the life of his entire family on the line to save another human being's life, or make their life better for even just one moment! And to risk, in doing just that, protecting the lives of the many, in laying their lives on the line for ours...for yours, for mine, for your kids, your gran, your husband at work....to RISK being fired, facing jail all because they were doing their jobs, doing what they were told, and risking their own lives, and the "lives" of their families back home by stepping into the line of fire, often that of an AK-47, or into a group of hundreds if not thousands carrying guns, pangas, knives...all premeditatedly for what? a tea party? I think not.

Paramedics, police and even the much ridiculed traffic officers lay their lives on the line every time they step out of their homes in the morning, and all for the greater good, not of themselves, but of everyone else- every man, woman, or child they come across on that day's duties!

And all jokes aside about the hiding behind trees asleep (traffic officers), or guzzling down doughnuts (traffic and Police), you will not sooner find a more shining example of humanity, courage or dedication than when you cross the path of a law enforcement or emergency service official.

You will also no sooner find a person on this green earth who can tell you the most heart-wrenching, devastating stories of suffering and pain; and on the other end of the spectrum- the most belly-aching, floor-rolling hillarities of stupidity and misunderstandings, or the joy of reuniting a lost/missing child with their family, or saving the life of a baby thrown into a pit toilet, or some rubbish bin in town  ...all whilst in the line of duty!

Yet for some strange reason, the "cops" are always in the press for the bad that they do, and it"s automatically assumed that they were the culprits, the incitors, the heartless killers; and yes there ARE some bad eggs, but they are far outweighed by the good honourable faithful officers, and the media stories of their good deeds, their amazing courage, their good statistics, which would far supercede the negative media, those are all hidden in a bottom drawer, because who wants good news right? and they're all just corrupt, every single damn one of them, right?

To quote a poem, author unknown:
"I’m not black or white
I’m really just BLUE
and proud of my job
- protecting people like you".

I have actually been in law enforcement for more than 24 years, as a daughter of a policeman, and a wife of a traffic officer, and friend to both "doughnut eaters". I have seen friends die, I have had my dad nearly die in numerous attacks with handgrenades and such, I have seen my husband and friends told to NOT shoot back when they were being fired upon by ak-47's, having to shield themselves with whatever they had at hand, sand banks, wooden poles.....praying that if the worst should happen, it hits the vest, and the Kevlar and plates do THEIR jobs! A life of a law enforcement enforcement officer is NEVER an easy one, and never one with thanks, so I ask you just to sit back and think of a time when you were in need of their help, be it in the middle of a scorching hot day, or in the darkest, coldest hours of night, or on the side of the freeway drenched with rain and you have a flat tyre or engine problem all alone, or be it when your trackable car has been hijacked or stolen, and the network of officers is alerted, and through hours of tracking, or even just a few minutes, your car is found, and returned to your possession! I just ask you to think of how when they are needed, they deploy ready to fight for you, protect you, whilst their families are at home, without their protectors-this is the sacrifice, the word of honour they gave to you when they enlisted into Law Enforcement . And i ask you to think of all the Easters, and Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and Christmasses, that you and your family get to celebrate in the comfort of your warm homes, and churches while the traffic officers patrol the freeways and roads to ensure your safety when you travel, offer a helping hand if necessary; to the policemen and women who attend to your complaints, and patrol the city making sure you are safe; and all get home after the celebrations and festivities have long ended; I ask you tonight when you are warm in your bed, to say a little thank you, to all those law enforcement officials and paramedics sitting in the cold, away from their families, to protect you.....or just a complete stranger!