1. Paperwork is real. Hours of it. Every call, a report. Every report, a review. I used to think cops were just out there doing things. They're also here, typing. For hours.
2. You will see things you can't unsee. A domestic call. A kid hiding behind the couch. I'm supposed to be objective. I'm not. I'm human.
3. Most officers want to help. Not all. Most. The ones who stay, who don't burn out, they want to help. They're not in it for the power. They're in it because someone has to be.
4. The radio is a language. *“10-4”* *“10-22”* *“10-78”* . I didn't understand anything at first. Now I hear it in my sleep. The dispatcher's voice. The rhythm. The waiting.
5. You will be scared. I was scared on my first call. I'm still scared. Not of the work. Of messing up. Of not being enough. Of the thing I can't predict.
6. You will be changed. My friend asked: “How was your day?” I said: “Fine.” How do you explain a day of sitting with people at their worst? You don't. You just come home. You sit. You try to be normal. You can't. You're different now.
This is what I signed up for. I'm still here.
2. You will see things you can't unsee. A domestic call. A kid hiding behind the couch. I'm supposed to be objective. I'm not. I'm human.
3. Most officers want to help. Not all. Most. The ones who stay, who don't burn out, they want to help. They're not in it for the power. They're in it because someone has to be.
4. The radio is a language. *“10-4”* *“10-22”* *“10-78”* . I didn't understand anything at first. Now I hear it in my sleep. The dispatcher's voice. The rhythm. The waiting.
5. You will be scared. I was scared on my first call. I'm still scared. Not of the work. Of messing up. Of not being enough. Of the thing I can't predict.
6. You will be changed. My friend asked: “How was your day?” I said: “Fine.” How do you explain a day of sitting with people at their worst? You don't. You just come home. You sit. You try to be normal. You can't. You're different now.
This is what I signed up for. I'm still here.
