A cop's kid journey

milwaukee cop · 2/25/2008 6:13am

I remember when I was six years old, I was watching some T.V. show,( it may have been the movie,"the onion fields") and in one scene a uniformed police officer was shot by a bad guy. My dad was a Police Sergeant for the Milwaukee Police Department, and was getting ready for work, and a profound sense of dread had overcome me, and I remember running up to my dad, hugging him and crying, begging him not to go to work.

I remember my dad holding me for a while, and him telling me that he was going to be fine, that he was well trained, he had a whole department behind him, and a lot of other stuff, that calmed me down enough, to let me feel that everything was going to be o.k.

I had started a ritual that I would tell my dad, “Good luck and don’t get shot.”, before he would go to work, and some how , in my mind, it would be the “magic incantation” that would protect my dad , and keep him safe, and if I could’nt tell him these words before he went to work, I would be in distress.

I have been a cop for eight years, and have two children of my own. I understand my dad a lot more. I look at my kids, as they lay sleeping, before I start my shift, and I make a promise that no matter what happens on the street, IM GOING HOME AT THE END OF MY SHIFT.

I never asked my dad what went through his mind, when he held me, back when I was a fearful child, I’ll never get that chance, as he passed away seventeen years after he retired, but I would bet it was the same firm resolve to come home at the end of his shift that I feel when I look at my children.

I also understand just how scary it can be for my kids, I can tell you from my expierence, that having a parent in law enforcement, the threat of loss is always the greatest fear. I can tell you that my dad was my hero, and the greatest guy in the world, I only hope I could be half of the man my dad was, and be as good a dad to my kids, as he was to me.

I wonder if it is selfish of me to be a cop, if it is fair for me to put my kids in that situation, I wonder if my dad thought that.

As scared as I was of losing my dad, I could not even begin to descibe the depth of pride that I had for my Father. It was such a double edged sword for me as a child, fear and pride. I wonder if it is like that for my kids, in truth, im afraid to ask them, because I don’t want to stir a pot, if they are dealing with it o.k.

**CharlesTC** · Posted On: 2/26/2008 8:02pm

Wow, that is cool. I know that when I am considering what I might want to do as a career that is something I ponder. I toss around the pros and cons of having a job that may end up having someone knocking on my family's door announcing my death.

**Sakamonster** · Posted On: 2/26/2008 11:58pm

Thank you. A nice departure from the (usually) "lol fighting" updates

**Airman Kai** · Posted On: 2/27/2008 9:12am

The only bad thing I can say about this is that I wish there was more to read.

***jnp*** · Posted On: 2/27/2008 10:06am

Thank you for sharing that milwaukee cop.

**Higgy5** · Posted On: 2/27/2008 11:10am

I grew up with my father being a cop also. I think the worst for me were when the phone would ring in the middle of the night when he was on shift. It's an unexplainable sense of dread.

Anyways, in "The Onion Field" the officers involved were in plainclothes. I believe that the movie you are referring to may be "The New Centurians" it follows a group of LAPD academy graduates through there first years on the department. Both books were written by Joseph Wambaugh. "The Onion Field" is non-fiction, "The New Centurians" is fiction based upon different people the author knew and worked with as a LAPD officer.

**Squerlli** · Posted On: 2/27/2008 7:01pm

I'll probably never say anything positive about police officers but after reading this, I have a bit more respect for them. (Except for that one mini-cart cop that threw a burrito at me, that was fucked up).

**milwaukee cop** · Posted On: 2/27/2008 10:00pm

Anyways, in "The Onion Field" the officers involved were in plainclothes. I believe that the movie you are referring to may be "The New Centurians

You may be right, I was around six, when it happened, just remember the cop going up a flight of stairs, and then getting shot.