Police

Article by Corey Bradley, Issac Mejia, Nadia Mason and Antonio Reyes

Published in Spring of 2023

Personable Police: Blue & Blessed

The Hopewell Police Department was established in 1916 after its independence from Prince George in the same year. Along with every other police department in the US it is heavily frowned upon for multiple public misconceptions. Although regrettable, it is understandable why the public perceives the police negatively. Social media spreads hate about the police. If negative public perception were not enough, officers have to deal with the stress and emotional rollercoaster that is their profession. A police officer’s day can go from eating lunch on Thanksgiving weekend to going on a high-speed chase across the city at a moment’s notice. 

Police officers encounter a lot of civilian misconceptions. While systemic problems exist in policing, it’s unfair to judge every individual officer for the system to which they belong or for the actions of the worst among them. Some believe they fabricate stories when civilians don't comply. Body cams can now hold police officers accountable. It is possible for body cams to fail, which can cast the cops in a negative light, but the reality is there is more accountability for police now than ever before. Some people assume that police aren’t doing anything during their investigation because civilians expect cases to be solved as quickly as they are in movies and TV shows. Usually, it takes months for them to receive the reports they need. It takes longer to produce reports since each piece of evidence must be sent to the same lab used by every police officer in the state. This means police work on other cases while waiting for lab results so their evidence can be used in court, but the speed of that process is largely out of their hands. 

There are many ways to damage someone's reputation, and police officers constantly deal with this difficulty. Many people believe that officers make mistakes without consequences, despite the fact that everyone, including an officer, is subject to punishment. Some officers have committed crimes and gotten away with them, just as some civilians have. Most modern criminal behavior of police results in them being reported, prosecuted, and fired if found guilty. Police districts have internal affairs officers to assist with holding their fellow officers accountable. People tend to focus on society's negative aspects rather than its police who have contributed to society in positive ways that have gone unrecognized.

Police officers have to deal with a lot when it comes to their mental health. Their work can be hard and tiring. Every single day their health is put at risk. While officers can have breaks, those can be cut short because anything can happen at any given moment of their day. Police officers don’t really have a lot of people to talk to when it comes to their mental health. Captain Damon Stroker said, “They get a lot of calls that they have to go to and experience the pain and grief of others.” One officer said that they had a call come in because of an accident with a baby in the car. The strain that the officers have to endure is heavy and isn’t taken seriously by enough civilians. 

Police officers from the Hopewell Police Department want the next generation of officers to understand that what they do has a great impact on others. There are no second chances at a first impression. Modern police should always keep learning and evolving with the new world. Our current officers encourage the next generation to be honest and open about their job and be respectful to their communities. They warn that the job can be hard on your mental health and on your body but the rewards that come along with it are amazing and to never stray away from doing the right thing, even if it hurts someone you care about such as a fellow officer.

Police officers are here to protect the community from shootings, traffic violations, and all different kinds of crime to keep it safe. They receive a lot of stereotypes that aren’t true. All of this is important to know because there's more to the police than meets the eye from how the public views them. The better that police and the public understand each other, the safer and happier everyone will be.