On Jan. 9, 2015, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) joins a number of organizations in support of law enforcement officers nationwide to promote National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (L.E.A.D.).
It is important to show law enforcement officers that we recognize the difficult career they have chosen, in public service to us all.
I Support America’s Law Enforcement OfficersCan you imagine going to work each day and wondering if you’ll survive your shift and see your family that night? Most people can’t. But in law enforcement, this is a fact of life. Each day, hundreds of thousands of police officers across the United States, Canada and Mexico put a badge on and go to work knowing they may face extremely dangerous situations. Yet, they go to work anyway. Being a law enforcement officer is not just a job, it is a calling. The pay is low, the hours can be difficult, and there is sometimes little appreciation for what they do. Yet, they do it anyway.
What the public doesn’t see are the risks members of law enforcement take to keep our communities safe. On average, annually, between 105 and 203 officers die in the line of duty, 50,000 officers are assaulted, 14,000 officers are injured, and over 300 officers commit suicide. There are very few other professions in the world where you will find similar statistics.
Being a law enforcement officer truly is a tremendously demanding job. You must be professional, courteous, caring and yet be ready to protect the public at all times. You must be prepared to make life and death decisions in a moment’s notice. You take an amazing amount of abuse at times, but have to view this abuse as just “part of the job.” You do not have the liberty to express your emotions during many situations.
Law enforcement officers play such an integral part in our society. Without law enforcement officers, chaos would reign. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were in trouble—an accident, a home invasion, an assault, etc.—and you did not have someone to call for help? No matter how much abuse law enforcement takes, they continue to do their job, and do it well. They are the guardians of our way of life and they deserve our support.
CVSA joins in the chorus in support of law enforcement, and we encourage everyone to please take time on Friday, January 9th to show your support.