Behind the Badge
I went to a Mediterranean restaurant for Code 7 with my friend Rich. We ordered our food at the counter and went to our usual seats outside on the patio.
It was chilly, but not too bad.
While we were waiting for our food, a man and woman in their fifties left the restaurant. The man walked up to our table and said, “I appreciate what you do.” The woman said the same thing. We both stood up and shook their hands and said thank you. He grabbed hold of my hand and gave me the longest handshake ever.
“You guys have had a tough time lately and I wanted to say thank you,” he said.
We thanked him for stopping by and talking with us.
He went on to offer his support and said he felt compelled to speak with us. He told us that people don’t understand how hard it is to be an officer. He shook our hands one more time and said something that was powerful, sincere and from the bottom of his heart.
“You’re not the enemy,” he said.
Rich and I sat down and said, “Wow.”
What can you say after that? We were speechless.
His words struck me like a bolt of lightning. It wasn’t just the words. It was the way he said them. Here was a man who truly believed in us.
He saw us as the good guys.
I’m sure many officers have had this type of contact lately since the civil unrest started. It’s not something anyone talks about though. It’s not something you see on the news either.
Those people are out there and it’s important to know they support us.
To all those people who support the police, I want to say thank you. We need you more than ever.
