CONGRATULATIONS LAW ENFORCEMENT GRADUATES

Last night I went to a police academy graduation ceremony because Brad, the son of my close buddy Trey, was one of the graduates. Had I addressed the graduates, here is what I would have said:
　
Congratulations, you have just graduated from the law enforcement academy. You are about to begin one of the most important and difficult careers imaginable. Important because you will be responsible for preserving the thin fabric of an orderly society and difficult because police work is all about dealing with people.
　
You will be dealing with the best of people and with the scum of the earth. Given the fact that there are fights between husbands and wives, between brothers and sisters, between parents and their sons and daughters, and between close friends, it stands to reason that when you confront a stranger in an adversary situation you’re not going to be met with hugs and kisses. That means your ability to deal calmly with a hostile person will be tested to its very limits.
　
What I am going to say now may be disjointed but I want to give you a few tips on how to survive and succeed as a law enforcement officer.

To begin with, I suggest that you treat all people, including scumbags, the same way you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. Get used to the fact that even good people are going to get upset with you. You’re in the business of regulating human behavior and no one likes to have their behavior regulated.
　
Next I am going to urge you to do something that is extremely difficult, and that is: ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST TO CONTROL YOUR TEMPER, no matter the circumstances. When you lose your temper, you are going to be controlled by your emotions and that is likely to get you into a heap of trouble.
　
If you’ve just had a beef with your spouse or experienced something else that continues to anger you as you get ready to leave for work, don’t go to work – CALL IN SICK! Why? Because if you go to work, you will take your anger out on the first person who pisses you off, and that can get both you and your department in trouble.

And this is just as important as controlling your temper – YOU’VE GOT TO SUPRESS ANY RACIAL, RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR LIFE-STYLE PREJUDICES YOU MAY HAVE, because if you don’t, you will be controlled by those prejudices and that can also get you into trouble.
　
More cops get into trouble over wine, women and guns, not necessarily in that order. If you drink to excess, sooner or later you are likely to get into trouble. Young women are going to be impressed with your uniform, so don’t let your pecker lead you astray. Always think with your brain, never with your pecker.
　
And be very judicious in how you use any weapon. You have every right to protect yourself when you confront a dangerous criminal or you find your life or someone else’s in imminent danger. There may come a time when you will have to shoot someone. You can bet on one thing - if you do shoot someone or if you have to resort to physical force, there are always going to be those who will second-guess you and you could find yourself facing false accusations and possibly unwarranted criminal charges.
　
Now listen carefully! DON’T DRIVE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL! The public often judges the police by how officers drive. Unless you are responding to a real emergency, DON’T PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL! Even on an emergency run, keep this in mind - your red lights and siren only seek the right of way, they do not give you the right of way! And be aware that of the officers killed in the line of duty, most of them are killed NOT by gunfire, THEY DIE IN CAR CRASHES!
　
Oh yes, forget all that stuff about being on duty 24 hours a day. You’re not. You’re subject to call 24 hours a day. More officers get into trouble playing ‘cops and robbers’ off-duty than on duty. So, unless you come across a felony in progress when you’re off-duty, forget it!
　
Finally, to be a good cop you have to be a go-getter. But don’t be too gung-ho! You don’t have to arrest everything that isn’t nailed down. You will be rewarded far more for the quality of your arrests than for the number of arrests you make.

Police work has been described as 95 percent utter boredom and five percent sheer terror. So always be on your guard because one never knows when that terror will strike.
　
Thank you for letting me spend these few minutes with you. Again, congratulations and may you enjoy a very happy and successful law enforcement career.