Page 11 - May2021

SecondVice President’s Report
Why would anyone take this job anymore?
It was a question that was asked occasional- ly when I joined the department nearly a quarter century ago. Back then, the question was rarely asked, but when it was, it was in the form of, “Why do you want to be a cop?” As time has passed and society has changed for the worse, violence has be- come acceptable, people have become more rad- ical and the misinformed have created systemic hatred toward police.
Now more than ever, moderate and reasonable civilians ask, “Why would anyone take that job?” I completely understand why they ask, and actually I appreciate when some- one asks that, because it is an indicator that they realize the challenges and struggles police officers face.
As a union representative, one naturally would encourage hiring, but recently, I can’t with good conscience tell someone this is a job worth taking without warning of the negatives. I feel it would be cruel and reckless if I encouraged someone to ac- cept a position in law enforcement by saying, “It’s wonderful.” Sure, after the first 18 months, new officers are making double what my starting salary was. But the question begs to be asked, Is it worth it? Is taking this job worth it? There is more to a job than the salary and moderate benefits.
The job does have some positives, primarily the experienc- es it offers. Lifelong relationships, close friendships, the social skills that are built, developing the skill of critical thinking, being part of a brotherhood where one is willing to die for the other and being exposed to things that most will only see on television, just to name a few.
But in a city where the media, the leadership and an over- whelming percentage of citizens all seem to be against the po- lice, there are officers eager to serve the very people who hate them. In arguably the most violent city in the nation, officers still go out and not only provide service when called, they go above and beyond what is required to put offenders in jail. Ac- tually, I should say there are officers that attempt to put offend- ers in jail, only to walk them out the front door of the station due to a rejection by the state’s attorney. Then comes the civil lawsuit. “Why would anyone take this job anymore?”
Dealing with violence and encountering violent people could be a driving force for some and goes along with what I said earlier about experiences others will never see. But we re- cently saw how society can ruin an officer’s life after he showed up at a scene where his presence was requested. Upon the offi- cer’s arrival, half of the crowd felt that the officer was a referee and commenced brawling. The officer resorted to his scenar- io-based training, and from the video I saw, the officer did not have time to weigh any options.
The officer saved the life of a defenseless girl. From what I’m hearing, the officer’s life will never be the same, thanks to soci- ety. Even if the officer stood by passively, society would treat the officer no differently.
In the last month, a few of our own members have had their lives turned upside down, all for doing what they were trained to do. In situations like that, one would expect the employer to stand in support of the officers, providing public statements that explain the officers’ actions. On the contrary, the employer has only fanned the flames and made matters worse for the of- ficers and their families. (Needless to say, the Lodge has provid- ed support for the officers in their time of crisis.) Knowing that this is what one can expect from the employer and from society makes some ask, “Why would anyone take this job anymore?”
Day in, day out, call after call, we encounter what the rest of the public can’t even imagine, yet they still have daily protests and riots to show their appreciation (that’s sarcasm). We are the ones who respond to the scenes of infants thrown around an apartment by a mother’s new boyfriend. We see the children who have been gunned down on a playing field. We are the ones who knock on the door to explain that the loved ones will never come home again. We are the ones who hand out the medical examiner’s address and telephone number. We are even forced into situations where we are praying to get out alive. All that, only to go almost four years without pay increases and to en- dure the rising cost of living and tax increases. Again, the ques- tion comes up, “Why would anyone take this job anymore?”
In addition to being exposed to horrific crime scenes, we are expected to robotically forget all the trauma we witness and re- spond to the next assignment, but those images are stamped in our minds. We are the ones who are called to individuals in crisis when the family no longer can manage. Spend a couple of hours putting crisis intervention training to work, then head to the next call with no chance to decompress or for the mind to heal. Then be required to complete a set of reports for a com- plicated incident, commit an error and face discipline for “inat- tention to duty.” Again, the question arises, “Why would anyone take this job anymore?”
CR numbers add up, whether it is an administrative oversight due to exhaustion or an uneducated or misinformed citizen dissatisfied with our police service. I can’t think of any other profession where a complainant can file a report in a variety of ways: phone, in person, online, by mail. Not to mention, receive follow-up correspondence with an update on the complaint. Yet society and politicians say there isn’t enough “accountability” for police. Police officers can perform their duty as they were trained and yet, CRs still are initiated and follow us for the rest of our lives. The media will not hesitate to report how many “complaints” even a long-retired police officer had in his or her career.
Another way the employer shows gratitude is by canceling days off, thereby forcing officers to miss out on much-needed relaxation and mental healing and disappointing friends or up- setting family members by having to cancel plans. Again, “Why would anyone take this job anymore?”
DAN GORMAN
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2021 11