By Mike Simmons
When my father first became a Pensacola, Florida Police Officer in 1964, I remember how proud I was. I was proud that he would stand for what was right, often in the face of danger. It was not a surprise to me that he was proud also. It was something he had always wanted to do. The old veterans who trained him felt the same way. The honor was there.
Less than eighteen years later, I became an Escambia County, Florida Corrections officer, and I remember how I felt. I was overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. I was elated to join a profession that stood for what was right. It didn’t hurt that my father, who was very ill, was also proud of me. A few weeks later, he was dead. Almost four years afterward, I proudly joined the Pensacola Police Department, the same agency that my father had worked for until his death. I was overjoyed when I pinned on my father’s old badge…#45. Then I found that most of my training officers also wanted me to take the high road – to be an officer of integrity. The honor was still there.
Every day for thirty years, I approached my profession as if I was doing the right thing for the right reason. I took pride in knowing that I was one of the good guys. Of course, I made mistakes. Of course, there were days that I dreaded going in, supervisors that I didn’t like, and assignments that I didn’t enjoy. But overall, I was still proud…I was a police officer. I stood for the enforcement of the laws – the laws that the people passed. The overwhelming majority of officers I worked with felt the same. They were honorable.
I raised my children to respect police officers, and I enjoyed seeing them eagerly talking to a police officer when they encountered one. As their children came along, they also were taught to respect the police…because it was an honorable profession.
It never paid enough. But I guess no professions do. One job was never enough to pay the bills. I worked two, three, four, and even five jobs to make ends meet. One of the jobs I enjoyed the most was that of an adjunct instructor at the local criminal justice training center. It didn’t pay as much as some of the other off-duty jobs that police officers work, but I enjoyed helping teach younger officers to choose the right direction. Most did. They had honor.
When I retired in 2015, I did so with hesitation. Not that I wasn’t looking forward to spending my later years with my wife – we love each other’s company. But soon, I got an opportunity to give back. I was offered a position to work full-time at the George Stone Criminal Justice Training Center, the same place where I had taught for so many years. I was able to instill the same honor. I did. I still do.
Know what? The young officers I encounter feel the same way. The same way my father did when he started, the same way I felt as a little boy when I saw my father in a police uniform, the same way I felt as a young officer, and the same way I felt when I retired. They are proud to take the watch from the old-timers. They are proud to wear the badge. It’s still there. The honor is still there.
Even though 100% of criminal justice officers are not honorable, an overwhelming majority are. Think about it…men and women DO NOT become police officers to get rich. And while the public looks at the fact that officers wear a badge, carry a gun, and get to drive fast, those things come with a stifling weight. None of those “perks” are free. They must be used with honor.
Here is the problem. In the 1960s, police work was honorable, and most of society saw it as such. However, officers still served and protected the minority that rebelled against the laws and the law enforcers. In the 1980s, it was still honorable, but fewer people saw it that way. But police officers served everyone the same. In 2015, the job was honorable, but society’s views were turned away from that belief. But those sworn to serve and protect continued to do so. In 2024, it is an honor to be a police officer, but most of society doesn’t look at it that way. Still, those selfless men and women keep their faith and serve in an honorable manner.
One huge difference is this…In 1964, becoming a law officer was an honorable profession in society’s eyes. Now, however, fewer men and women want to pin on the badge. It’s sad, but many people consider that those in blue are corrupt – without even giving the blue guys to show they aren’t. In the eyes of many citizens – those we are sworn to serve and protect – the profession is no longer honorable.
Bring back the honor.
Mike Simmons
