Is that chip or a badge on your shoulder? (Police Recruits debate)

Is that  chip or a police badge on your shoulder?  Well, that’s the question I like to ask any new `Recruits’ who are just about to start their Police (or any sort of military) training.  Why? well, quite recently, I had a conversation with a person who IS about to start such a training – but the feel i got was that s/he had the idea that as s/he is going to be doing this great service for the country and people, it somehow excused the person from much of the house-work. Not just that there was also an inclination that this sort of work is quite a cut above the `mundane works’ that nearly everyone else is doing in the country!

My firm answer was to say that I will treat the person with no less or no more respect – ever!  Why? because the work that my mother does in a supermarket – serving customers (or the job of looking after disabled children in a special school), or the Employment Training work I used to do, or the driving work Bus & train drivers do..   or anything else..    are all equally important for the functioning of society!

Protecting the Public IS an honorable job. (police, army etc). No denying that.  Let’s leave aside the question of why someone goes into those types of jobs – such as idolizing a hero, following in the foot-steps of a parent(s),  balancing a childhood sense of personal vulnerability (heavy psychology in here), or just plain an simple admiration for justice and acting on a personal protective instinct.   (There is also the other possible aspect of  being in a power position!!).

When someone is wearing the Uniform and on duty, yes, I will listen to them as The guardians of Law, and protectors of Life and property. But when their uniform is off, they are just another (equal) human being walking along side me in the avenue of life.

I’ve had my share of being victim of violence and crime in streets. I’ve also had the courage to jump in and rescue, protect or safeguard one of more total strangers in the street.  I have no training. No uniform. No badge. And unless I spell it out, no one even knows what I actually did.   I get treated just as anyone else gets treated. (And sadly, I get discriminated just as another person gets discriminated). That’s just called equality.

The first thing any new recruits to Police or armed forces should remember is – those jobs are about `serving the society’ – not about `deserving special treatments or exemptions from Society’

This is not some heavy criticism. Just a thoughtful blog post. That’s all.  My message to all you new recruits who’s come this far in the intense selection process is..  Good Luck for the hard training ahead..  and Thank you ..for the lives you are about to save in the Future.  🙂

-Mani Navasothy