To see the photo of the new graduates of the law enforcement academy made us wonder – is there any tougher way to make a living?
The pay isn’t much and their lives are at risk every day. That’s not exactly fodder for a want ad, but it’s the truth. Ask the family of Detective Kevin Collins or the family of Sgt. Donald Scoby.
Collins, of course, was a member of the Pine Bluff Police Department. He was killed in the line of duty four years ago at the age of 35. Scoby, 10 years older, had been on the Stuttgart police force for four years. He, likewise, was killed while serving his city. Who among most of us would be willing to take a job where there is a non-zero chance you will die, just because you were doing your job?
Those stories are likely well known to those raising their hands and taking their oath to defend and serve and uphold the laws of the land. Then there are the bad cops and the cops who do terribly bad things who smear the rest with their actions. Sometimes, like last year, that translates into a drop in confidence from the public. But now there is evidence that the public’s good feelings toward the police have grown.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Even those “good” numbers, however, hover around the 50% mark, meaning that about half the public doesn’t think all that much of the folks in blue. And young people and people of color, well the percentage of those people who think highly of police can be positively depressing.
We haven’t even delved into the fact that their jobs require physical and mental strength and the ability to handle high-stress situations in which they have to make snap decisions. All of which makes their commitment to their new profession all the more impressive if not amazing.
Congratulations to them all. May they find a place to thrive as a law enforcement officer, a place where their service is appreciated.