One of the difficult things about police work is that officers are trained to see the bad and the negative. They are looking for people who are breaking the law and often dealing with people who are not in the best state. It is an officer’s job to protect, so they are constantly watching what is happening around them and really have to assume the worst to be prepared. They get so accustomed to thinking this way that they sometimes have a hard time when there is positive. They are quick to question and very slow to trust.
In the church this can be so contrary to what we spend our time doing. (I am not saying that there aren’t officers who are Christians and go to church…keep reading.) We certainly aren’t supposed to ignore the bad things in the world or let people get away with things, but we view situations a little differently. When people do things wrong, we often look at them through a redemptive lens. Even if we are calling sin out in someone’s life, we are still doing so in a way that hopes his or her situation will change. We strive to see the best in people and hold onto hope that God can change anything. We try not to view people as the list of mistakes they have made, but rather by the ways that they have grown and the potential that they have. We read countless stories in the Bible where God takes someone who has made a major mistake and turns their life around to make a big impact for the Kingdom. Some of the people that God used in the biggest ways were those who caused quite a bit of trouble.
As police officers, it can be a big struggle to view people this way. Those kinds of stories are not what they are telling each other or what they are reading from other officers. Police deal with the same people day in and day out and see them continue to make the same mistake. They get exhausted answering that same call. When they arrest someone they have to read over lists of prior convictions because that is what determines the charge for the current offense. Officers that work at night very rarely see people who are positive or who are not causing trouble. It’s the truth in the saying that nothing good happens after ____ (fill in whatever time of night you were always told). Some of the more serious calls put the officers in positions to see how terribly people can treat each other and how that ends. Their 12-hour shifts are packed with plenty of things that give them reason to view people and the world through such a negative and almost hopeless lens. I can see how they would be quick to lose faith in society and in people.
I also can’t say I blame officers for feeling the way they do about people when I hear how they are spoken to. I have been in units countless times when I’ve heard people scream awful things at the officers. Sometimes the officers can brush it off, but it has to take a toll on them. Rides to the county jail when people are yelling at the officer and telling them they are a worthless piece of sh*t or telling them to go and f*ck themselves. And so often the officers have said nothing to the people to deserve these comments. I’ve heard people say that they hope the officer dies or even that they hope their family dies. They come up with all sorts of other insults and threats that they make. It has to get old hearing all of that and this is what I’ve seen as the norm. The people who thank them for coming or are respectful are the exception.
While this is how things are now, I certainly hope it’s not the way things will always be. I hope there is a way for officers to see and experience some of the redemption in the world. To see and hear stories of people that they work with making major changes for the better in their lives. For officers to know that God is at work in even the most desperate situations and in them as they deal with some of the most difficult and broken people. For all of us to make better choices and care more about each other that there could be more positivity in the world rather than so much negativity. For us all to continue to be open to each other’s different perspectives and understand where people are coming from.
This is part of the reason why I love feeding the officers and opening up the student center at the church to them. I always hope that a meal, some laughter and some air hockey or ping pong can help the officer feel differently at least for a few moments. To give them a place where they can get out of their unit and be insulated from the craziness of the world. If you ever want to join me, I believe it can really make a difference! The picture with this post is one of the breakfasts from over a year ago. It's at 5:00am when the night watch officers are about to get off work. There are lots of goofy faces, but that's what makes them great. It's time to laugh and be in a positive environment.