By: Tom Cronin
February 22, 2023
How important is faith? Well, that’s a question everyone will have to grapple with during their lifetime. How important is faith as a police officer? In my opinion, more important than my tactical vest and firearm while on the streets. You see faith plays an intricate part in morals, ethics, and empathy. The vast majority of officers have a way of becoming hardened as their career progresses and maybe this is a mechanism meant to protect their inner-person or soul. Our faith reminds us that we are all equal in the eyes of God and we are here on earth to help one another. Just as easy as it is to de-value the offender’s life, faith helps us to be empathetic and truly serve each individual person and not to classify/dismiss groups of people.
So, what do we do? Well, we protect and serve each community member as we would our own families. If our kindness is construed as weakness, we will take the corrective actions needed to gain compliance. That is part of the job. But being unkind, hardened, and rude should not be an option because we have been sworn to protect and serve the community. These negative actions hurt the profession and garner distrust.
Being kind, although difficult at times, is necessary in most circumstances and something each law enforcement officer should be striving for. Toughness, although necessary at times, is not personifying strength just as kindness is not weakness but consistently being fair and slow to judge is what makes officers trusted community members. We are reminded in Matthew’s Gospel, 5:9, ”Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall me called children of God.”
Therefore, I challenge my brothers and sisters in Blue to be who God created you to be, His faithful servant! Walk in faith, courage, and with compassion and let us all plan to reconvene someday in Heaven hearing God tell us, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” God bless and stay safe.
Captain Cronin is proud member of the Police Unity Tour (PUT) and has previously biked hundreds of miles from Norfolk, Virginia to the Washington DC Law Enforcement memorial to raise money and awareness for those officers killed in the line of duty. The PUT motto is, “We Ride for Those Who Died!”
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