“I’m always amazed and moved to tears about how committed the men and women who work for this organization are, who work for public safety,” says Honorable RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.

 

Honorable RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson

Police are calling Wednesday, June 4, 2014,  the “Darkest Day” in the RCMP’s history in New Brunswick when three RCMP officers lost their lives and two were crucially wounded in the line of duty.

“I’m always amazed and moved to tears about how committed the men and women who work for this organization are, who work for public safety.” Honorable RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said the days ahead will be difficult for RCMP members across the country. ” We will need time to mourn our fallen brothers and support their families through this tragedy,” he said. ” Their deaths are beyond comprehension. Their ultimate sacrifices will never be forgotten.”

We are faced with a very painful reality that further strengthens our faith in our protectors and our guardians. We have lost part of ourselves but in God’s good time we will recover and heal and come out stronger than ever in support of our protectors so that such a tragedy must never happen again. May God receive them with kindness and grace for our blessings and prayers are with them and their grieving  families.

© Samina Iqbal. 2014

RCMP Officers (our heroes)

Profile of Leader Of The Nation-Police Officer
(Posted on February 10, 2013 by saminaiqbal27)

” to each there stands his own day;

to all the time of life is short and irretrievable;

but to extend one’s fame with deeds,

that is the task of valor”.

(Virgil, The Aeneid X. 467-9)

It is not possible for me to elaborate absolutely on the enormous role that the Police Force plays in society for the betterment of humanity. It would be vain of me to think of doing perfect justice to their continuous effort for refining their self and their perfectionistic spirit, to their profoundly realistic and moral fascinations to sense of duty and heroism, to their spiritual understanding of human life and death. They are the polished embodiments of the august and the righteous rulers of men. It would be difficult to fully unveil their unmitigated gifts of gentleness, and the ardent empathy with which they treat humanity by virtue of their nobility of thoughts. They are heroic men and women of the Police Force , and their dauntless nature makes them the grandest human beings. I present my modest effort.

The leading and the principal segment of the law enforcement agencies is the Police Force of any country. What makes a Nation take lead amongst the Nations of the world depends on its virtuous, honorable, principled, exceptional, dynamic and indomitable police force.

The law enforcement officers are the sole promise of hope for the innocent citizens. These are the officers who are continually in the forefront to fight the modern-day warfare in order to safeguard the citizens against harm and maintain public orderliness. The most important aspect of the police work is the knowledge and enforcement of the laws which have been passed by the lawmakers. Police officer is the foremost to make sure that our world remains safe and sound not only by enforcing laws on the citizens but also adhering to them by taking actions only permissible by the law. We have observed them check speed limits, offer counsel, write a ticket, issue a warning, or when mandatory, arrest someone. They preserve the “law and order” of society. There would be no order but absolute societal chaos without the law enforcement agencies keeping checks and balances in place.

The police officers deal with reality every moment of the day. When they receive a 911 call the officers’ effort is to get to the crime scene as quickly as possible. Their adversaries are their own fellow citizens who have chosen the wrong side of law, to live. These law breakers can resort to any means of violence to escape which could prove dangerous if they are carrying weapons or are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Police officers are courageous and do not back away, and fight till the situation resolves in an amicable manner. They walk on thin line all the time protecting the innocent after all they are themselves also fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives and brothers and sisters. It is obligatory on society to recognize the magnitude of their role and safeguarding them from harm should be the responsibility of everyone, for harm to a single police officer is harm to the entire society.

Prerequisite to becoming a police officer starts at a very early age in their lives. A dynamic noticeable presence in school covering leadership qualities, academics and sports is a must for future protectors and leaders of the people. Police officers’ profession is like the occupation of educators and doctors who have genuine association with community life, and who perform a prominent role in social evolution, and reformation. The aspiration of the contemporary community policing crusade is to help to make even the down trodden neighborhoods look elegant and refined. They are presumed to be role models in the communities they grow within and are expected to set examples by performance to win the confidence and trust of the citizens within the neighborhood. Excellence and its pursuit is habit for the society’s truly visible public servants.

Whenever we hear a siren and notice a flashing light we know that a police officer is sent out in the direction where he is needed to protect someone in distress. The officer is cautioning everyone in the pathway to get out of the way and his crusade en route races towards defending a person from harm’s way whether from illness, assault or a gruesome situation. If the opposition is dangerous and irrational the officer is illumining as a well-lit target. The officer faces the enormous crises wholeheartedly and with immense spirit, knowing that it would be obligatory on his/her part to protect an innocent from harm. The officer does not negotiate his/her responsibilities but takes care of them by being ready for the ultimate sacrifice of his/her life in the line of duty. The moment when the officer stands between the impending harm and the innocent victims who look up to him/her like God and his protector on earth, is priceless. In the broader perspective, it is indeed The Police Officer who stands firm and tall in the middle of the advancing decadence and the defenseless society. Is there any procedure to evaluate the economic reward of this sublime reality?

Police officers’ job is both physically and intellectually demanding, and entails operating in wide-ranging unexpected environments and circumstances. Moments after shopping with their family, they could be giving directions to an off course motorist, aiding a senior cross a road, trying to resolve a domestic violence situation, or attempting to grab hold of a trained and unabashed shoplifter. A few instants later they could help deliver a baby on the roadside and in a while they could be apprehending an aggressive and disoriented drug dealer. Proceeding from one situation to another in a span of a short interval of time stipulates remarkable versatility and expertise. This demands flexibility, presence of mind, sound judgment, skill to switch from one situation to another, and tremendous diverse talent to deal with distinct situations in a commendable fashion. Everyday job also requires walking and standing for lengthy intervals, a stern physical demand with no rest or eating schedule. During investigations especially they can over exert for extended periods of time. Rushing after the law breakers and restraining them involves a lot of stamina, vigilance and endurance. The concept of service to people is so deep-seated that they are there for us twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to respond to every form of emergency. What would we do without their assistance during natural calamities or a terror threat? Their multifaceted job also requires them to control lose animals such as dogs, bears, cougars, coyotes and run away animals from the zoos. The physical and the mental exhaustion of the police work can influence police officers’ health in a very serious manner.

They are envisioned to have a sagacity of good judgment and a strong sense of conscientiousness while determining the fate of the citizens who depend on them for righteousness and impartiality. If an error in the evaluation has been made good police officers will rectify it immediately hence displaying a strong sense of fairness and justice which is built in as part of their character.

The stresses of the police officers’ line of work are immense, and on a continuing basis, their job being perilous and traumatic. A considerable danger of harm could be the result of contact with people whether in a social or official environment. According to the U.S department of labor, police officers have one of the highest rates of on-the-job injury and illness. It is commendable how they manage the countless trepidations of their job. They are required to keep the personal sentiments under firm control in the face of extreme danger despite the intensity and horrifying nature of the circumstance. Most of the images of battered, severed and dead bodies of men, women and children are horrific and heart wrenching. They are expected to survive impeccably through moments of rage, disappointment, disagreement, misconduct, bereavement, melancholy and agony. Some police officers become victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a physiological-psychological aftereffect of a traumatic event. These officers suffer from the repercussions of shootings and other unnerving images they witness everyday in their line of work in locations where danger never sleeps. We watch painful stories of police officers who have not only lost their jobs but also their families due to PTDC. On the job they display to have nerves of steel when confronted with the real tragedies of life every single moment of the day. This level of resilience and endurance makes them exceptional human beings. They are perfect men and women who endure the challenges of their life with poise and elegance since next to honor, courage is their greatest asset.

They observe the limits of self-discipline every moment since they know conquest of one’s self is a very sweet triumph which proves worthwhile in the long run. They talk to the criminals in a decisive and firm tone and at the same time turn around and talk to the victims of crime and their families in gentle and sympathetic manner, treating them with decency and dignity, offering them solace and comfort. They understand life and the world around us better than anyone of us, and are aware of the finest ways to live and also to teach people how to co-exist with honor. They are the epitomes of moral excellence.

The atmosphere created by the recent technological progresses has given rise to the culture of litigation making officers’ work a difficult challenge. It is true that every organization has righteous as well as depraved people but the majority of honorable police officers must not be judged in the light of deplorable actions of a few. It is important that we assert our utmost confidence in the institution of policing which stands out as the most prestigious and distinguished organization of our country. We must value the feeling that when we call 911 we know with complete assurance that some one will be there to be of assistance and that we are not without help. Is there a more satisfying feeling than this? For our safety they provide a visible presence to warn off criminals and consequently save us from harm and crime. Just envisage a life with no police to protect us?

The fast pace of technology has augmented more anxieties to the job of police officers since in this day and age they have to defend us from technologically innovative criminals. Technology has unlocked new avenues and generated new intricacies for the law enforcement especially in the past two decades. The look of the law enforcement is changing quickly with the enormous influence of technology. Most police departments have internet crime squads, and they are using new crime fighting technology to be more proficient since it allows them to keep pace with the criminals. Cutting-edge crime fighting techniques have become a must in combating sophisticated levels of crime.

Implementation of moralities is the long-standing function of police. In this way they influence every facet of human life. They keep the social and moral fabric of society intact and in the end whether our society remains in one piece or falls apart hinges on them and the strength we give them. I strongly feel that we need to support the police officers with all our means and in every way possible, since our very survival depends on this. We need them to lead us with their light of wisdom and guide us with their virtues since they are the righteous and honorable leaders of our nation.

Police officers who depart this life in the line of duty are often given grand funerals which are graced with the presence of large number of fellow officers. Watching the funeral of some of the finest and larger-than-life men and women of the world is always heartbreaking.

It will not be a bad notion that the next time you see a police officer do wave at him in an appreciating manner, pray for his wellbeing and if you can fully comprehend the intensity of his job and responsibility he accepts of protecting you, a Salute may be in order.

Finally, I would like to offer my salute to every police officer with the prayer:

“If the divine powers take note of the dutiful in any way,

If there is any justice anywhere,

and a mind recognizing in itself what is right,

May the gods bring you your earned rewards”.

(Virgil, The Aeneid, Book 1, 1.603)

(C) Samina Iqbal. 2014.