From the Chief
Challenge Behind the Badge
10 | March 2019 | Real Hero Report
If you’ve never experienced a moment where you didn’t know
if you’d live until the next moment, you won’t understand
what I mean. Someone trying to murder you in a quick and
violent manner is terrifying. “Comes with the job,” I can hear
some say. And you’re right, it does. Others would howl that it’s
not the badge, but it’s because of your attitude or the disposition
of unequal enforcement of the law, or some other excuse for
misbehavior. Oh, really?
Would the violent attack have begun if I were delivering ice
cream to children, pouring concrete for a sidewalk, helping a
attempted murder is not because of who is wearing the badge, but
because it’s a badge–plain and simple.
Being pinned to the badge is just a by-product of raising your
hand and swearing an oath to protect the Constitution, and all
that is precious to our nation. Men and women who feel a strong
conviction to stand-up and do something for those who are either
unwilling or unable to stand-up for themselves. Black or white,
rich or poor, city or country, north or south… these citizens have
seen the battle raging, watched others fall in heroic courage, and
still stepped forward and said, “Send me.”
Everyday, these guardians of Main Street, USA go to work
knowing they are going to be called names, get stabbed, shot,
beaten or crushed, and still they pin on the badge, kiss their loved
ones good-bye and willingly walk into the fray. Now, it’s not new
to attack those who have a guardian’s responsibility. From the
Genesis to the Revelation, from the beginning of recorded history
until this very moment, good and evil have struggled. I’ve heard a
few say that the good among us are really the evil ones. Have we
reached a time when good is called evil, and evil is called good?
Maybe on some days, but not today. It is very clear in my mind
what commitment I have–serve my neighborhood and respect
those who do so as a profession. Nearly every profession has
good people working hard to achieve their goals, but I want to
remind all of us about these badge-wearing guardians.
They know what they’re going to be doing before they do
it. They know and accept the risk inherent to the badge. What
walks out on the edge of a bridge to softly plead with a distressed
person to step to safer ground? You guessed it. Who hugs a starryeyed
small child while the parents sneer and leer? Same answer.
The same quiet guardians have a heart you don’t often get to
see. Good deeds abound that no one recognizes–handing out toys
to children with no money, buying someone else’s food or giving
a ride to a warm place for a half-frozen soul. Just because they
gave you a lousy ticket doesn’t mean they don’t have kindness in
them.
Not just their lives, but marriages are at risk too. Most police
marriages experience a set of unique struggles. Missing birthdays,
anniversaries, little league ball games, family meals. Add to that
the shielding of work realities from the innocent. All because of
the badge. Don’t think it’s terrifying? Ask the little girl or boy
And the dirty work. It makes for entertaining television miniseries,
if you don’t have to hear the cries of the hurting, share
the loss of dreams, or smell the results of evil. And just like their
neighbors, they’re citizens too. They have rights and opinions,
vote, own property, take kids to school, and worry about paying
bills like everyone else.
Now, I’m not talking about the national respect or even
community respect. A 2016 Gallup poll shows that 76% of
Americans’ have a “great deal” of respect for police. That’s just
one point below the all-time Gallup poll high of 77% in 1967.
regardless of race or age. This is great news, but I’m not
these guardians–my personal respect.
Looks like that respect is not shared by everyone. During 2018,
150 of us were killed in the line of duty, and 18 already in 2019.
We all can do better and certainly the profession of law
enforcement has room to grow. But my conviction is not to
criticize but to undergird them, strengthen them, encourage them,
love and honor them. It is because of them that my family sleeps
peacefully at night. Who will step up when the thin blue line
I wear a badge. My name is Mike Carswell and I am the Chief
of Police at the Holly Springs Police Department.