The Forgotten Cop

[rognyt]

After 15 years working inside, I find the population outside mostly want to pretend the inside does not exist (and certainly does not want to pay for it) or believe their loved one being held there was wrongfully accused, so we are the villains and again it should not be paid for.

[BOP Proud]

It's called..."Out of Sight...Out of Mind". That is the public's view of inmates. Get 'em off the streets so we can forget them.

[be safe co]

great great great article

[be safe co]

tears, so many tears .. its all true, more tears

[dragonsgt]

It comes up about once a week now, about my brother killing himself, everyone wants to know if he was depressed. I always begin my story by telling them that yes he was, then I go on to tell them what he did for almost 25 years of his life. You should see the look on their faces. It is like they just discovered that someone works in prisons. I always finish my story by saying that I believe there would be a lot less depressed "Forgotten Cops" if people opened their eyes and hearts to what is really going on after that criminal leaves the street. There should be some type of "decompression system" for the PTSD that accompanies the job.

[Blueangel42773]

Not everyone looks down on us like we're the same as the scum that we babysit every day. I was in a local department store one day and I was in uniform. I was standing in line waiting to pay for my purchases when a man came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. My first instinct was to step away from him because I didn't know what to expect. Instead of saying something ignorant or belittling, he simply put his hand out to shake mine and said, "I just wanted to say thank you. I know you guys have a hard job and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you keeping us safe." I said thank you and he walked away. I almost cried. It's the only time someone took the time to say that he appreciated what we do. It meant the world to me because we had just lost one of our COs to an inmate and it was pretty hard on all of us.

[rognyt]

There is a Funeral tomorrow for a former co-worker, cancer took him. A good cop with a good heart,he will be missed. I am no longer staff, so can't ride in the state vehicle driving the 100 miles to the service. I no longer drive, in part for the same medical reasons I no longer work inside. Will see if any are taking POV might give me a lift.

Can't give up the fight or let the valiant go without notice!

[dragonsgt]

I'm so sorry about your friend. God bless him and his family. God bless the job and all of you.

[dragonsgt]

On the net today they are talking about the rise in suicide in the military. Hopefully, out there somewhere there is someone who will figure out how to decompress the human soul from the horrors of war. I wish that one day I would look on the net at national news and see that someone is addressing (and admitting) the rate of suicide in law enforcement and figure out how to decompress the horrors of the war on crime.

[Blinky]

The truly sad part about all of this is that even people that currently or previously were on the job are among the many that talk bad about the job. I think, imho, that people who work in less violent camps forget just how dangerous this job can be.