Behind the Badge: Broken in Blue

Law enforcement is a dangerous and all too often deadly occupation. Cops are faced with the worst society has to offer. We cannot expect to place officers in seemingly no-win situations day-after-day, and expect them to come out the other side unscathed. The tragedies witnessed by law enforcement personnel leave images burned into their minds, many of which can never be erased. Cops are human. They encounter failure. They make mistakes and sometimes these failures and mistakes will lead them down a dark path. Some officers will face discipline, others will face jail, and still others will choose to take their own lives. Accountability is essential in addressing bad decisions and poor judgment, so is empathy and forgiveness. Officers must learn not only to forgive their brothers and sisters in blue, but themselves.