Ask a cop: We are the target

Ask a cop: We are the target


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SALT LAKE CITY — We are the target for someone's bad day. We are the target when a person just can't take it anymore or wants to take it out on someone else. We get judged and critiqued every time for a split second decision we had to make in an environment others are not in and with all the time in the world on their side. We are responsible for all the laws that are written, all our co-workers' mistakes and the government's transgressions.

We can be hated for no reason, because it's the thing to do. Most people still think we were born into our uniforms and were never real people — test tube cops who know nothing else. But before becoming a police officer I was a car stereo installer. I have buddies that were FedEx drivers, salesmen, homemakers and anything else you can think of. We don't get brainwashed and indoctrinated when we swear the oath to uphold the Constitution. We do hurt, we can bleed, we have cried and sometimes we die trying to keep an evil person's focus on us and not the innocent.

Ask a cop: We are the target

There are many jobs that are more dangerous than being a police officer. Fishermen, loggers, pilots and roofers all have higher mortality rates than police officers, but none of their customers are trying to kill them. We are in one of the few occupations where we have no idea what we are getting into when we start our shift.

How do you plan for someone who wants to ambush and kill you? You can plan all day for the what-ifs, but a determined person will find a way. The only thing that may hinder that person is our training, our vest, our paranoia and divine intervention (or luck, as you choose to believe).

Some say we are heavy handed or rude and don't trust the people we are dealing with. I say we are always doing the best we can with what we see every day. On average, 160 police officers get killed every year in the nation, and an officer gets assaulted at least once a day in this state — and more often than not, it is multiple times a day. We see what happens when we let our guard down or when we are just doing our job.

People argue up and down about why we use military tactics, rifles, ballistic helmets and other tactical gear when dealing with the public. I tell them that I want every advantage I can have in a gun fight and if I have to cheat to win, I will. I'm going home to my wife and kids at the end of my shift. The guy trying to hurt me is not.

I wasn't ever in the military, but don't they usually bomb the crap out of things before they put boots on the ground? They get missiles, grenades, drones, armored vehicles, AWACS, intelligence units, Colt M4's and rifle plates in their tactical vests. I get a Chevy Impala, a vest that should stop small-caliber rounds, little intelligence and a rifle made in 1971. Which military tactics are we using again?

Draper Police Sgt. Derek Johnson
Draper Police Sgt. Derek Johnson

This may sound like complaining or a cry for sympathy, but it is not. I'm just trying to bring some people back to reality and let them know what we are facing, which I think is abundantly clear given recent events. So if you see a cop, instead of a scowl, let's try a smile. Instead of one finger, how about all five and a wave. This is especially true if you see any Draper Police Department Officer. Buy them lunch, say thank you for all you do — heck, give them raises while you're at it. I'm doing all I can to help out, and I hope you do, too.

My sincere condolences and prayers are with the family and friends of Sgt. Derek Johnson, who was recently killed in the line of duty. Let not his death be in vain or his work be forgotten — a true hero in life and in death. I end with a little quote for the road:

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, or where a doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, and who comes up short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. The man who at best knows the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who never knew victory or defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt This article is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. I do not represent any specific agency or government. Please send questions to askacop@ksl.com.

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