‘Broken’ Seattle police officer shares heartbreaking letter
This photo belongs to "AP Photo/Elaine Thompson"
Rantz:
A Seattle police officer shared with me a heartbreaking letter explaining why they are “broken” after so many years protecting the public.
The letter is long. It’s important you read it all.
This is an officer who has committed much of their adult life to serving a community that, right now, is doing little to support police. This officer is “broken” due to recent experiences as activists demonize cops and the Seattle City Council pushes to defund the department by 50%.
This is an officer you don’t want to lose.
Please read this letter and commit to no longer being the silent majority. Instead, get inspired to be a vocal majority to stand up for this officer. There isn’t much time left.
QUOTE:
I am a police officer in your city. I say your city because I don’t live in the geographic boundaries that make up “Seattle.” My kids were fully entrenched in school in a neighboring city when I decided to become an officer and I didn’t want to uproot them.
My experiences are my own but I believe other officers will have had similar experiences and may be nodding their heads when they read portions of this letter.
I thrust myself into law enforcement after finishing my training and being put out on patrol.
I chased the criminals like most new officers in an effort to keep them from victimizing you.
During that time I won awards from the community and my commanders. It was nice to be recognized, especially by minority groups who unfortunately make up a disproportionate amount of crime victims.
I have suffered significant injuries while serving you, some of which caused me to be hospitalized and others were painful but transitory.
Collaborating with residents to address the crime and predatory criminals in their neighborhood have been some of the most satisfying experiences in my life.
I hold close to my heart the interactions I have had with those residents, but even closer to my heart are the drug addicts and criminals who I have assisted in getting their life together … sometimes forever and sometimes for just a few years.
Knowing I helped a prostitute get off drugs and stay clean for 4+ years so she could reconnect with her children is an amazing feeling that I cannot explain.
I hope her children remember her for those years of sobriety and not for the years she was lost in her drug addiction.
........UNQUOTE
Read the complete letter (it really is worth reading): https://mynorthwest.com/2034975/rantz-broken-seattle-police-letter/