What Is A Cop?
Cops are human (believe it or not) just like the rest of us. They come in both sexes and various sizes. The size depends on whether you are looking for one or trying to hide something.
Cops are found everywhere-on land, on the sea, in the air, on horses, in cars, sometimes in your hair. In spite of the fact that "you can't find one when you want one," they are usually there when it counts most.
Cops deliver lectures, babies, and bad news. They are required to have the Wisdom of Solomon, the disposition of a lamb and muscles of steel and are often accused of having a heart to match. He's the one who rings the doorbell, swallows hard and announces the passing of a loved one; then he spends the rest of the day wondering why he ever took such a job.
On TV a cop is an oaf who couldn't find a bull fiddle in a telephone booth. In real life he's expected to find a little blond boy "about so high" in a crowd of half a million people. In fiction, he gets help from private eyes, reporters, and "who dun it" fans. In real life, mostly all he gets from the public is "I didn't see nuttin'."
When he serves a summons, he's a monster. If he lets you go, he's a doll. To little kids, he's either a friend or a bogeyman, depending on how parents feel about it. He works around the clock, split shifts, Sundays and holidays, and it always kills him when a joker says, "Hey tomorrow is the 4th of July, I'm off, lets go fishing." (That's the day he works 16 hours).
A cop is like the little girl, who when she was good, was very, very good, but, when she was bad, was horrid. When a cop is good, "He's getting paid for it." When he makes a mistake, "He's a crook, idiot or racist, and that goes for the rest of them too." When he shoots a stick-up man he's a hero, except when the stick-up man is "only a kid, anybody could have seen that."
Lots of them have homes, some of them covered with ivy, but most of them covered with mortgages. If he drives a big car, he's a chiseler, a little car, "who's he kidding?" His credit is good (most of the time); this is very helpful, because his salary isn't. Cops raise lots of kids; most of them belong to other people.
A cop sees more misery, bloodshed, trouble, and sunrises than the average person. Like the postman, cops must also be out in all kinds of weather. His uniforms change with the climate, but his outlook on life remains the same, mostly a blank, but hoping for a better world.
Cops like days off, vacations, and coffee. They don't like auto horns, family fights and anonymous letter writers. They have unions, but they can't strike. They must be impartial, courteous, and always remember the slogan, "To serve and protect." This is sometimes hard, especially when a character reminds him, "I'm A Taxpayer! I Pay Your Salary!"
Cops get medals for saving lives, stopping runaway children, and shooting it out with bandits (once in a while his widow gets the medal). But sometimes, the most rewarding moments come when, after some kindness to an older person, he feels the warm handclasp, looks into grateful eyes and hears "Thank you and God bless you."
Author unknown
