THIN BLUE LINE: The side of policing you don’t see in the news.

We get to work with some amazing local service organizations, who help those in greatest need, to feel valued, as members of our community. We mentor young people who sometimes just want an adult to chat with. We share a cup of coffee with neighborhood families and talk about their hopes and dreams and introduce them to others they may not yet know. We joke with kids in school hallways so that if they ever feel endangered, they have somewhere to turn. These are the things that warm our hearts and feed our souls.

There are, naturally, challenging aspects to our job, as well. A few of those scenarios are detailed below and will give you a view through the lens of law enforcement.

We often encounter people at their lowest points; they are scared, depressed, injured, or simply feeling powerless over something that has occurred. Emotions are often heightened, which can easily cause people to behave out of character. Good people can have bad days.

A call comes in. There is a scream on the other end: “Help, hurry!” The phone drops, shouting and crying can be heard on the other end. The phone is grabbed, and an address is given, followed by a simple desperate, “please” and the call ends.

We don’t know what’s happening, but it is clear that every second counts.

Every second counts inside CHOP, too, but they’ve decided they neither want nor need police there.