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A policeman is a composite of what
all men are... a mingling of saint and
sinners... dust and deity. Cold
statistics wave the fan over the
stinkers...underscore instances
of dishonesty and brutality because they are
news. What that REALLY means is
they are exceptional, unusual - not
commonplace. Buried under the froth
is the fact that less than one half of one
percent of policemen misfit that
uniform. And that's a better average than
among clergymen.
What is a policeman made of. He
of all men is at one the most needed and the
most unwanted... a strangely nameless
creature who is "sir" to his face... and
"pig" to his back.
He must be such a diplomat that
he can settle differences between individuals...
so that each will think he won...
But if the policeman is neat, he's a flirt. If he's
not, he's a grouch.
In an instant he must make decisions
which require months for a lawyer. But if
he hurries, he's careless. If he's
deliberate, he's lazy. He must be first to an
accident... infallible with a diagnosis...
he must be able to start breathing, stop
bleeding, tie splints and above
all be sure the victim goes home without a limp,
or expect to be sued.
The police officer must know every
gun... draw on the run... and hit where it
doesn't hurt. He must be able to
whip two men his size and half his
age....without damaging his uniform
and without being brutal. If you hit him,
he's a coward. If he hits you,
he's a bully.
A policeman must know everything
and not tell. He must know where all the
sin is and not partake.
The policeman must, from a single
human hair, be able to describe the crime,
the weapon and the criminal.. and
tell you where the criminal is hiding. But if
he catches the criminal he's lucky...
if he doesn't he's a dunce. If he gets
promoted he has political pull.
If he doesn't he's a dullard.
The policeman must chase bum leads
to a dead end and stake out ten nights to
tag one witness who saw it happen,
but refused to remember.
He runs files and writes reports
until his eyes ache to build a case against some
felon who will get dealed out by
a shameless shamus or an honorable who isn't.
A policeman must be a minister...
social worker... a diplomat... a tough guy...
and a gentleman. And of course
he will have to be a genius, for he will have to
feed a family on a policeman's
salary.
Author Unknown