Not the Way I Wanted to Remember My Last "Active" Day in Law Enforcement

I had lots of plans on how I was going to re-kick the Saturday Knight Special blog. Mourning the loss of yet more members of law enforcement was not it.

Three officers dead in Baton Rogue. Three others shot. Another military vet is the shooter, this time with links to the Nation of Islam.

The assasination of five officers in Dallas on July 7th was already going to change the direction of this blog, or at least add more depth to it.

It will still be stories of my time on patrol, but not just my rookie time, but later patrol time as both an officer and a sergeant. It will also touch on current events that are relevant to law enforcement. It will carry my opinion on these events and what can be done to keep us from the death spiral we appear to be on in this nation.

The angry wind that's blowing, fueled by the media and those with agendas, needs to shift. There isn't a cop in the nation that starts their tour or shift with the idea of "I want to kill someone today." The most common thought, after figuring out where and what your meal will be, is getting to the end of that tour safely. Going home to your family.

I still remember, as a newly promoted Sergeant, mentioning that my tour, the 5th one of the week, was "my last one." Jimmy, a black cop with well over 20 years on the job at the time, still carrying his six-shooter in a swivel holster, reprimanded me in his slight southern drawl.

"Sarge, your last tour is the one ya don't go home from. I ain't never gonna hear you say those words again. We clear?"

Clear as glass Jimmy.

There are 31 deaths of law enforcement officers by gunfire so far this year, an increase of 94% over the same time last year.

It's not the guns that are killing cops. Guns are certainly the method of choice, the instrument if you will, but they aren't doing the killing. Guns didn't kill 362 this year so far in Chicago or 168 this year so far in NYC. People killed them.

And those inner city deaths, you know who cares about those numbers? Not the feds. Not the media. Apparently, not the Democrats or the Republicans, Progressives or Conservatives, not the activists nor the racists. Those that care are the family members and the cops. I saw way too much death in my 20 years. Innocents and gangbangers. Cops and perps. I carry every death I witnessed with me and will continue to do so until my own passing.

Because cops do care. And bleed. And die. For you and your's.