This week has seen the loss of two officers whilst on the front line helping those in need.
PC Mark Goodlad of West Yorkshire Police and Garda Ciaran Jones of Garda Síochána County Wicklow.
PC Goodlad was struck by a lorry on the M1 Motorway after he stopped to assist a stranded female motorist who had broken down on the hard shoulder.
Garda Jones, whilst off duty and in some of the worst conditions in living history, left his car to warn drivers that a bridge near his home was about to collapse. He was washed away in the flood water and believed to have drowned.
These two officers without a second thought for their own safety, went to the assistance of those in need. Something that takes place every day with every police officer around the world.
Is this bravery? I would say, no, it's the job that we do and is an everyday occurrence.
However, to be killed doing it brings home the very dangers that us officers face day by day.
Yes, soldiers face danger day by day, but with all due respect to them, if you sign for the Armed Forces you don't join to study the flora and fauna.
What angers me, is the total lack of media coverage for these two officers.
These two officers represent the majority of officers world wide. Those that join the job, serve, committed, professional and want to go home safe at the end of every tour.
However, the media chose to focus their attention on a Met PC call handler who "inappropriately handled emergency calls"
Whilst I agree that, yes, this does require attention, but to have on the tv full interviews with the IPCC and only give brief coverage of the two officers was simply not on.
It seems to me that lately the media only want to concentrate on the bad side of the police.
The riots, what we did wrong, the student protests, the sit in at St Pauls, Dale Farm etc, all concentrate on the "lack of police response" rather than, "the police finding themselves the targets once again"
Every day, an officer does something that can save or change a life. Do we hear about it? No of course not, it would become tedious as after all, if you speak to any police officer they will say the same thing:
"I was only doing my job"
However, it is about time that the media and government stop getting into bed with each other and realise that police officers are human. We have lives, we have feelings and if you push us we will break.
But we will always continue to serve
... even if we have to pay the ultimate sacrifice
Friday 28 October 2011
The Ultimate Sacrifice
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3 comments:
I disagree, there was plenty of media coverage. PC Goodlad led on the radio news and was on the front page of the BBC News site. Garda Jones was also mentioned in bulletins.
I think if you were expecting a month of national mourning and the nation's women to dress in black you were expecting a little too much.
I think there is no danger of people losing respect for the police in this country. However it is BECAUSE people have so much respect for the police that the dodgy ones like the lazy call handler and the one who killed a pedestrian while buying a birthday card make such big news.
I believe that the key phrase here is " I was just doing my job".How many jobs require you to take uncalculated risks every day; dealing with potentially dangerous and often unpredicatble individuals- entering situations where there has been a call for help- with little or no information on what you may find.
Each and every Police Officer will selflessly put themselves in the line of fire; an act that is borne from a desire to serve and protect others.
Where in the job description does it say that you must do this- this isn't just a job, it is a way of life; where regardless of the situation that you may find yourself in, you will continue to serve; sadly, this isn't recognised in daily life- it is shameful that it isn't acknowledged in death- the Ultimate Sacrifice.
Beautifully written Kath, thank you.
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