By Don Pagani, Guest Columnist
I am a U.S. Army combat veteran (1971-77) and retired North Carolina sheriff’s deputy and crime scene investigator (1978-98). I am 72 years old and worried about my country.
Many people expect law enforcement to be everything and quickly find fault when they didn’t show up in your time of need. They moan and groan that a dime was spent to pay them a halfway decent salary – as well as provide the men and women who do this job the proper equipment and training needed to combat the ever-growing crime rate, illegal immigration, drug addicts, drug gangs, serving summons and warrants, working in courtrooms, conducting traffic stops, maintaining jails, transporting inmates, helping the poor and mentally ill, etc.
Many of their decisions mean the difference in life and death, and must be made in seconds.
They are expected to be enforcers of state and federal laws, social workers, mental health counselors, medical professionals, firefighters and everything in between. Then we have the nerve to ask them to do even more, like be an animal control officer.
Our law enforcement officers are stretched out so thin with unrealistic expectations and attitudes it’s no wonder governments have a hard time retaining them. The average person would think a person would be insane to do a complex and dangerous job for such low pay and benefits.
Many have no idea of the sacrifices these men and women make every day, along with their families, when they put on a uniform, badge and gun. They are willing, if necessary, to defend you with their lives.
They work many holidays, special events and weekends, so their loved ones have to take second place to putting you first. That often leads to divorces, suicides and medical conditions. I know this firsthand because it happened to me.
They are overworked to the point of exhaustion, in many cases due to the lack of having enough people to help cover their areas of jurisdiction – there are 466.67 square miles in Cherokee County. They get exposed to deadly toxins and diseases, violent criminals and much more. It makes the term “the thin blue line” as real as it can get.
Realize the vital importance of respecting and supporting all law enforcement officers and agencies with the funding needed, even if it cost us all more money each year in property and sales taxes. We can never fully express the gratitude they deserve, but we can surely do better than we are doing.
At the same time, we all must work with them for our collective safety and security, and become a force multiplier for our general welfare. May God bless the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way each day to protect us.
The writer is a resident of Murphy.