What We Hear

      

Working with police as a chaplain, I hear stories that seldom if ever make it to the media. I hear about the affects of being a cop that most people don’t know about: some because they don’t care and others because they have created their own perception of what a cop is.

I am not going to use any names in this article because I believe these cops can share their stories when they feel it is the right time, if at all. My goal in sharing some stories is to wake up some of the public who have bought into the huge lie perpetrated by the media and special interest groups, that cops are the bad guys. A common myth that certain media outlets here in Toronto promote is that most cops are “trigger-happy”. In other words they wake up each morning hoping to pull their guns out of their holsters and shoot some poor unsuspecting person who is a visible minority. You can fill in the colour of their skin because those media outlets emphasize it daily.

Policing in reality looks totally different here in Canada. In fact the obvious push for diversity in the Toronto Police Service is seldom referred to because it doesn’t create headlines. As a chaplain I sit in on parades before I go out on a ride along with one of the sergeants. For me it is usually at 5:00pm as each officer is assigned their car and other things like their dinner break. Those sergeants who also hand out the assigned scout cars are often Black or female. The men and women sitting in front of them are Chinese, East Asian, Black, female, gay and White. I have yet to hear instructions that direct these cops to go hunt down all the young Black men. If you listen to special interest groups you might not believe me and all I can say is that I can’t help you.

So with this backdrop of misinformation about the men and women that put their lives on the line for each of us, let me give you something else to ponder. There is a topic that has come more into the light in the past year and it is called PTSD or as many of us now refer to as Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI). Operational Stress Injuries occur quite often because of the type of calls our cops go on. Family issues that as human beings we can’t avoid can add to the stress. A third factor is a perception that management doesn’t always have the backs of the rank and file, usually caused by politicians who’s support of the police is often non-existent. This is mainly due to the usual special interest groups who yell and scream the loudest until the politicians cave in.

Now let’s go out for a ride with these brave men and women and look at what they see on many days, evenings and on the night shift. There are the calls we refer to as hotshots, where among other serious occurrences, guns, knives or emotionally disturbed persons are involved. The often used and accurate phrase comes into play: they race to the scene as everyone else runs for cover. Those that don’t run for cover stick around with their cell phones and try to capture the potential of a cop doing something wrong. I’ve seen it happen so don’t get mad at me.

Imagine going to perhaps 100 traffic calls over your 20-year career as a cop where a dead body or two is awaiting you. They are mangled and perhaps a child is among the casualties one too many times. You have children about the same age. It affects you even if you don’t have children. I helped debrief several cops who were first on scene at the van attack in Toronto that killed 10 people and injured many others. I heard stories that I can’t repeat because they were so gruesome. I was affected just by hearing the stories so I can only imagine what these men and women experienced.

Then there are cops that arrive on the scene of one of their own being killed in the line of duty. Or those who are face to face with a mentally unstable person who is wielding a knife or gun or someone who is in their right mind and shoots you three times and leaves you for dead. That happened to a friend of mine who thankfully recovered but has been dealing with PTSI for years. In August of this year, three Ontario Provincial Police Officers committed suicide because they could not face another day. That affects everyone in the organization and the policing community in general.

I could go on but I think I have made my point. Now go back to my earlier point of how our cops are treated by media and many politicians and ask yourself: why would anyone want to be a cop? Even when they are a positive influence in Toronto schools, they are removed because a certain special interest group trumps the majority who wanted them to stay.

Most cops probably don’t want me writing about this because they feel there is no point. I don’t get paid as a TPS chaplain so I feel I have a unique perspective that most of you don’t have. We always hear that the vast majority support our cops but for some reason their voices are continually drowned out by the haters. I want to encourage you to make an effort to tell a cop this week and in the weeks to come, exactly how much you appreciate what they do for us. Trust me when I say, it will make their day.