Sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs

A few years ago I was able to hear Lt. Col. Dave Grossman speak at a seminar. He spoke a great deal about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. I had heard of cops being referred to as sheepdogs before, back when I was in the police academy. It was there that I began to understand the attitude that a law enforcement officer must have to perform the duties entrusted to him and the attitude that it takes to perform this job.

The attitude and mindset of a law enforcement officer is a difficult one. An officer should be polite, soft spoken, understanding, ready to give a second chance, and not quick to become aggressive or fight.

But what about the times officers have to stand between an innocent person who is about to be harmed and the aggressor who only wants to use violence?

One split second of hesitation or that extra chance to comply may result in someone else being harmed or even killed.

Our children, the elderly, the sick, or anyone who may need protection (the sheep), must be protected, and to protect someone from danger requires someone else confronting that danger.

I watched a video of a sheepdog guarding its sheep when it spotted a wolf starting to creep in on the edge of the field. I was amazed at how fast the sheepdog chased down the wolf. The wolf looked more intimidating and threatening until it got too close to the sheep.

Then the sheepdog transformed from a peaceful looking animal into one that even the wolf was right to be scared of. Its aggressiveness came from the desire to keep something else safe.

They fought for a short time, but in the end the sheepdog was victorious, although it went limping and bleeding back to the flock of sheep it was supposed to be protecting.

I had someone ask me this week if I had seen the new "stun gun" they were making for cops. It is a funny looking thing that fits over the end of the officer's gun and fires a less lethal round at the suspect. I told him that was a great idea, but not for our real guns.

If we are to the point of needing a real gun, then the last thing we need is something that may not stop a suspect if someone's life is in danger.

I was then told that cops need to stop being so aggressive and that just because someone else uses violence does not mean we have to.

I agree there are times when we can try and deescalate situations, but not when the officer or someone else's safety is at risk. It has been said before that violence is most always the means to peace; this unfortunately is true in law enforcement as well.

An aggressive, and even intimidating attitude must be present for any law enforcement officer to do his or her job correctly, but it also has to be driven from the desire to protect others. If it is not, then that attitude will hinder that law enforcement from doing what he or she was entrusted to do.

I have noticed a lot of agencies starting to use the slogan "we intimidate those who intimidate others." That line of thinking can be good, but the desire that brings that type of thinking must be a sincere desire to protect others.

Our deputies patrol the county 24/7 and our goal is to serve the people of Vernon County to the best of our ability. I want deputies to be the ones that make a victim feel safe when they arrive on scene, I want the children in our community to know they can run to an officer and not away from them, and I want the community to know deputies will do everything they can to protect the innocent.

But I also want the wolves to know that when they attack or harm someone else, we will strike back and we will win. Bleeding, bruised, or broken, we will not give up until our job is done.