IS POLICE WORK JUST A JOB, OR A CALLING?
/Is police work just a job, or a calling?
By Kirk Lawless
Why would anyone want to be a cop? It’s a job. It’s an adventure. It’s a calling. All are true. First, let’s get the racism stuff out of the way. Are there racist cops on the job? Absolutely! You’re going to see it firsthand and need to be prepared to deal with it. You’re going to be on the receiving end of it as well, so be prepared to deal with that. People will hate you because of the color of your skin. People will hate you because you wear the uniform. Hell, they’ll try to kick your ass just for wearing it, or they might just try to kill you. On the job, you’ll find out that a person’s worst enemy, the one who will kill them, will in all probability look just like his victim. Gun violence in St. Louis, on the streets where I cut my teeth as a police officer, has seemingly reached a high-water mark in ferocity, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Black-on-black crime has killed nearly a dozen kids under 15 years old here within the past two weeks. Bullets do not discriminate. Old people get it, too. These folks don’t give a shit about their victims or themselves. You put on that uniform, they’re certainly not going to give a flying fuck about you. Remember that!
Missouri has usually been in the top three positions in methamphetamine production. The violence associated with clandestine meth business and culture is usually white-on-white, and again you will become the enemy. In more diverse areas, the victims and perpetrators can be found in any flavor. You’d be rolling the bones if you tried to predict the race of either victim or offender. And again, you will ultimately be the enemy. It takes a special person to be a good cop. I say that because lots of people are cops, it doesn’t automatically mean they are good at it. Some just fill a bag and draw a paycheck, avoiding the work and danger. There will be lots of danger to go around. I became a cop a long time ago, when Tasers were made of wood. I learned from some of the best how to be a good cop, a tough cop, and how to be fair. I nearly always let my first point of contact decide how things were going to between us. Do you need to be tough? You bet! But, being fair and showing a little compassion for your fellow man goes a long way on the job. You increase your survival if you build your career on the foundation of following my golden rule, “Don’t be a dick!” Unfortunately, not everyone follows my rule. Most of the people you encounter on the job don’t. Learn as you go. Watch the “good” cops and follow their examples. Watch the “not so good” cops and don’t do as they do. Be careful whom you confide in. Folks need to earn your trust, and it’s a two-way street.
I often find myself in one of the large police academies in a roomful of police recruits. It’s a no-bullshit discussion. I don’t lie to them. I don’t represent anybody. I don’t get paid. I don’t volunteer. I field all questions. I’m hoping it gives me the opportunity to save lives by telling them things they way they need to be heard, with no sugar coating. They need to know they are going to be second-guessed about lots of things by lots of people. They need to know they’ll be second-guessed by people who don’t know a damned thing about being a street cop, much less a good one, even more a dangerous one. A dangerous one? Absolutely! Remember there are people who would like to see you dead. And there are some out there willing to make you that way. That’s fact.
As you spend more time on the street, you’ll get a reputation. Some might wish you dead because of the uniform, but some will eventually want you dead because of your name. A dangerous reputation, for the right reasons, is a good thing! “If you done it, it ain’t braggin’”~Walt Whitman I give the recruits a copy of my resume not to brag, just to show them what can be done in a great career (even one cut short). Their main goal should not be fame, and it’s certainly not going to be fortune. The only goal they should strive for is to become what we refer to as “The Real Deal” and that needs no explanation. I tell them things I wasn’t taught in the police academy: the hard stuff, the bullshit, the politics, the incompetent supervisors, the wonder ponies (cops who bullshit their way to promotions or who kiss enough ass to circumvent the “natural flow” of things).
They need to know about the violence. They will carry a gun (or two…maybe three) and the new officers should be prepared to use them. I explain all of the tools I can think of, the mind being the most important. I tell them it’s OK to be scared yet remain fearless. It’s a process, and it takes time, but they will eventually get it. My personal experiences made me both fearless and dangerous. One of my favorite quotes hangs above my desk; “If you find yourself in a gunfight, don’t let yourself feel rushed. Take your time, fast!”~ Captain John R. Hughes, Texas Ranger I tell them what it’s like to take a life, how to deal with it, and how I still deal with it. It takes no particular skill set to stand out in the open and soak up rounds without returning fire! Send some rounds downrange (fuck that guy), “You try to kill us, we’ll kill you right back!” I emphasize to stay away from a cop who brags “I’ve never pulled my gun on anyone” or “I’ve never had a complaint or a resisting during my entire career.” I’ve found that cops who make statements like that probably haven’t done much police work in their career.
So someday you’ll be going on a “gun job” (and I would race you to a call like that) and you might see another car ahead of you at quite a distance and say you see that car turn off and not go to the call because it was “too hot” for the cop who could have beat you to the call. Avoid that guy or gal. Also to be avoided (as much as possible) the supervisor who shows up after the proverbial or literal smoke has cleared and takes command of a scene that has already been handled. Similarly, you’ll have the “tough guy” who shows up after the bad guy is in handcuffs or is otherwise incapacitated and runs his mouth because he’s the boss and he’s real tough. Try to avoid that one as well. That boss probably hadn’t done much in his career, either. I also tell them to pretend that when they’re inside the station, there could be a rat within arm’s reach, listening. It might be true. But knowing where you can talk and when you should or shouldn’t is important to know.
I can tell them about post-shooting protocol and the nightmare if it’s mishandled. I can tell you what it’s like to be on a call and find yourself in a working meth lab. I can also tell you what it’s like to willfully enter a working meth lab whether by search warrant or under exigent circumstances. I’ve heard that risking getting poisoned, burned or blown up in a meth lab is good for a career. I field any and all questions asked of me. I tell on myself. I tell them how dangerous it is (and sometimes foolish) to disarm someone armed with a knife or handgun, but I’ve done it several times. I can also tell them when I wouldn’t do it! Learning from other mistakes is a great tool, and if I can drive home a point by telling recruits about mistakes I’ve made, I’ll tell it.
I’m a firm believer that police work is a calling. I’m a Christian, and regardless if you like hearing that or not, I would never deny it. So, if you’re called to be a police officer and you want to learn about the job, find some no bullshit instructors who can back up their talk with the walk. Find the ones who won’t lie to you or sugarcoat things. You might have hard time finding someone willing to open up heart and soul, who will tell you some of the darkest stuff you’ll ever hear, but you need to hear it. Chances are, you’ll see lots of good things, miracles, and angels. You’ll see the hand of God in action, without a doubt.
There is a lifetime of the most vile things you can imagine seeing waiting for you if you’re called to this honorable profession. And smells, too! Don’t forget about the smells!
P.S. The most important reason why I give the recruits my resume is it contains my contact info, kirklawless@yahoo.com cell number (314) 302-0511. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t give it out. Anyone need help from me, reach out.
