A Spirituality for Police Officers
by John Moreno
Under the police shield is a real live person. The experiences of police work has an effect upon that person. This book is an attempt to have the reader weigh how their experiences are affecting them as persons. Is what they are dealing with on a daily basis having an effect upon their relationships with family, friends, neighbors and most importantly, their God?
The author shares real life police experiences, drawn from 30 years of service to the New York City Police Department. He shares how the work made him feel. There is that ongoing struggle in trying to be both a tough enforcer of the law and a loving, caring, popular human being and a person of faith. As a rookie officer, working with an old timer, he is warned of the three Bs, booze, broads and bucks and how they are the downfall of many officers. He is admonished by a superior officer for not beating a prisoner who had assaulted him on the street. He fights back tears at the sight of his first DOA, an infant.
In all of this the author seeks holiness. He wrestles with the question, can I be a tough, no nonsense, effective police officer and still lead a holy life, Police work offers the officer many opportunities to get into trouble, or to grow in holiness. Frequently it is the same incident and depends on how the officer handles it, whether it brings him or her down or lifts him or her up.
The book is written from the perspective of a Roman Catholic, however, anyone holding a belief in God should find helpful material in its pages. It would also be interesting for anyone who has relatives or friends in law enforcement, helping them to understand what the officer struggles with.
Sample Excerpts
The Police Academy can teach law, procedures, tactics, the required paper work and how to fire a weapon. It cannot teach the rookie officer how to deal with his/her very personal emotions and feelings as they encounter the endless variety of police assignments.
Police officers live in two different worlds. They have roles to play in each and struggle with balancing their commitment to the demands each world places on them.
All of this provides a real challenge for those officers whose faith is important to them. What is their obligation when they witness a fellow officer being abusive, dishonest or drinking on duty. How do they respond when questioned by a supervisor, or the Internal Affairs Division, about an incident that may put another officer in jeopardy.
As officers we are witness to so much pain in the lives of so many people. It is, however, other peoples pain. What happens when it comes home? How does the officer cope when he/she is victim, when it is their family dealing with tragedy?
