As I put on my uniform today, buckle my duty belt, zip up my vest, and tighten my boots, I leave my family behind to go protect yours. Every day, I walk out that front door knowing the risks. I walk away from my little girl and her mom, who expect me to come home safe after my shift. It’s a constant thought in my mind — that today could be the last time I kiss my baby and tell her I love her, the last time she hears my voice, the last time she feels me holding her.
Yes, I chose this job. I made the decision to put my life in danger to serve and protect, fully aware of the risks involved. But look deeper than the uniform, the badge, the gun, and the vest. See what’s behind it: a father holding his precious baby girl. This little girl, my daughter, deserves to have her dad come home safe. She and her mom rely on me, and I make the choice every day to face the dangers of this job.
There is a war on police that I just can’t understand. It’s heartbreaking to see the hostility and vitriol directed at my brothers and sisters in law enforcement. We are human beings, doing a job that not many are willing to do. I could spend hours defending my fellow officers, but I know that nothing I say will change people’s minds.
Just know, I am human too. I’m not invincible, and I don’t deserve to lose my life simply because someone else chooses to break the law. Putting on this uniform doesn’t make me any less of a person, any less deserving of going home to my family at the end of my shift. We are people with loved ones, just like you.
So, please, remember us in your thoughts and prayers. Every day, we fight to keep our communities safe, and we do it with the knowledge that we may not always make it back to the ones we love. We fight this fight for you, and we ask for your understanding and support.
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