Today’s generation spends hours upon hours of their day sitting on the couch mesmerized by their favorite television shows, movies and video games. Drawn to a manipulated image of reality. Of the many genres of entertainment portrayed through the media, Crime shows have become very popular. We see police officers in high-speed chases, search for suspects who’ve committed violent crimes and so much more. Teenagers are beginning to choose this as a career path without really understanding what a job like that actually in takes; they’re just interested in the action packed life that they see on television. What they don’t realize is how much time is put into a job that serves and protects their community, and the dangerous situations that officers are put in on a daily basis
Growing up in a home with a father who was a Police Officer I got to see only the man in uniform leave for work everyday, I never fully understood what my dad did or why he came home every night completely exhausted. So, having given the opportunity, I interviewed the man I’ve always looked up to, my father, Retired Police Officer, Chris Smith.
As displayed on television, police officers start their day by solving criminal cases, responding to calls, turning on those flashing red and blue lights and speeding off to stop crimes and make big arrests. Well, sorry to say, that’s not exactly how it happens. Officer Smith explained “I arrived at work every morning at 8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday, looked over paper work from the following day, drank a cup of coffee or two and headed out to do my rounds. The media over exaggerates what we do on daily basis, yes sometimes we are put into situations that are intense, but it’s not as often as it seems.”
An average shift lasted from 8-12 hours spent responding to calls, patrolling assigned areas to maintain public safety, apprehending fugitives, collecting evidence, writing reports and providing testimonies in court. Although that doesn’t sound as...