Good cops vs bad cops
3rd May 2021 · 0 Comments
The conviction of ex-cop Derek Chauvin came on the heels of a spate of news reports about police shooting and killing unarmed Black and brown men and boys.
During the pandemic lockdown last year, through the first four months of 2021, trigger happy police have been the stars of videos showing the senseless killings of people of color. In fact, there were only 18 days in 2020 that police didn’t kill somebody and only three days in 2021 that police’s guns were silent.
However, cops like Chauvin cast aspersions over police across the nation, many of whom actually take their oath to protect and serve seriously and go even further.
What we have in America is a case of good cops vs. bad cops. We are seeing bad actors on police departments using the badge and the gun to violate people’s civil rights, commit police abuse and even murder.
Cops like Chauvin cast aspersions over law enforcement officers across the nation, the majority of whom take their oath to serve and protect seriously, while others go even further in carrying out acts of kindness. These are the good cops whose deeds often don’t make the national news.
In fact, a case could be made that there are more good cops than bad cops in the U.S.
The acts of these heroes and “quiet warriors” live on websites that track their good deeds and offer proof that good cops have saved lives and changed lives.
Delivering babies, rescuing people from burning cars and homes, saving lives via CPR, helping the homeless and hungry, giving moral, emotional and financial support to families and the children of fallen officers, shaving a homeless man who was going for a job interview, buying a homeless man a pair of shoes, and many other acts of kindness never reach the general public.
Good cops are community guardians, are compassionate and caring, are influencers.
Here are a few more good deeds by law enforcement officers that should be celebrated:
• An officer escorts a fallen law enforcement officer’s son to his first day of kindergarten;
• A school resource officer stops a gunman’s attack on a school before anyone gets hurt;
• A cop saved a choking baby’s life;
• A policeman reunites a homeless woman with her son;
• An off-duty police sergeant saves the life of a cashier who wasn’t breathing;
• Two cops, in two separate states, saved people from burning cars;
• An officer purchases a new wheelchair for a homeless man;
• A law enforcement officer gifts a new bike to a girl who had hers stolen;
• Police found a college student walking 20 miles to work at 3 a.m. because his car was broken. They not only gave him a ride to work but presented him with a new vehicle;
• Officers helped a homeless woman to celebrate her birthday with food and gifts;
• Police and a donor surprise a kid with a toy, after they witnessed the murder of their mother;
• An officer mowed the lawn of an elderly woman;
• Law enforcement officers purchased food for an aging couple who had been eating dog food;
• During a cold night a police officer noticed a homeless man without shoes. After talking with the man and finding out he was a veteran, the officer went to
Sketchers and bought a pair of boots and socks for the man. The law enforcement officer set up a homeless foundation that has collected millions for the city’s homeless.
It is not hard to imagine that law enforcement officers who do good deeds are as close to guardian angels as some of us will get. We all owe police who actually protect and serve a debt of gratitude. They put their lives on the line everyday to keep us safe and some go above and beyond duty.
The next time you see an officer, thank them for their service. They are as worthy of recognition for the work they do as those who serve in the military.
With that in mind, The Louisiana Weekly thanks all NOPD law enforcement officers for protecting and serving New Orleans residents.
This article originally published in the May 3, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
