Everyone I know is a cop. My father, his friends, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, my great uncles. I grew up surrounded by police work. Officers in and out of my house constantly. Pictures of my sister and I surrounded by a blue community. Looking up to these heroes who risk their lives every day and come home like a regular person. All throughout my childhood we shared stories around the dinner table, constantly discussing cases of the week. We would play pretend police, acting out scenes we imagined from our perspective. We have always had respect for first responders, we had never had a bad experience with them. For us they were a family, babysitting us, playdates with other officers’ children, and attending cookouts together. It made up for the hours and days at a time they were gone.

My father was never home, working overnight, gone for days on end, sometimes we had no idea where he was or if he was safe. Many other kids whose parents worked alongside my dad dealt with similar issues. Almost all of them were scared to be home alone until high school. They were incredibly aware of their surroundings. Often we stood up for others, and overall we have the utmost respect for adults. Being raised in a household with troopers is a whole different world. You are constantly being quizzed on safety and talking about stories and comparing what went wrong and how one could have escaped. This is something that has been normalized for my sisters and I. With their everyday job dealing with horrifying cases, most of these parents were quite strict. A lot of us were not allowed at other peoples houses, were not allowed to have social media, and were encouraged to join sports and clubs to keep us occupied and with good friends. 

My father has been involved in many high profile cases, including the Lewiston shooting and the Boston bombing. Cases like those can truly impact someone mentally. The officers who work these cases are some of the strongest people I have ever met. These are individuals who go to homicides seeing dead bodies and horrified families, then are able to go on with their day like every other. It takes a toll that many outsiders are unable to comprehend. They do a great job at masking their emotions and being professionals. 

 Of course now the subject of police is controversial, especially after 2020. There has been a big shift in the community. In recent years veteran officers have seen hatred towards them, and noticed that the young ones coming out of the academy have less desire to work over time, or do  favors for others. There was once a time when other officers would reassure us and tell us how amazing our dad was. A time when we looked up to those in the blue uniform, knowing that when they show up there is safety. Many people, particularly those in minority groups, now feel targeted by police. While there are bad people in any job, the media also has a part in this. It is unfair to shine a limelight on the negative actions done by an individual and then blame everyone as a whole.

I would still consider all of these people family and will continue to support them in every aspect. I hope that each generation of officers and their families continue the traditions and honor the special bond that they have. It is very rare to be able to rely on such a large group of people for anything. I am incredibly grateful to have  grown up surrounded by these everyday heroes and hope they receive the respect they deserve.