We often hear the saying that police officers put their lives on the line to protect us – well this saying rings true now more than ever.
Most of these men and women in blue go beyond the call of duty to rid the country of criminals.
What we sometimes forget is that police officers are aware that at some point in the line of duty they will be at risk. They know this and sign up anyway – despite having parents, a wife, husband, child, brother or sister at home. They did this because they have a passion for the law and a love for our country. Yes, police officers are sometimes in the limelight for bad reasons, but I don’t think they get enough credit for the good they do.
Take Clive Naidoo for example. Here is a man who was pulled over by a police officer and his first reaction was to pull out his phone just in case something went wrong. Can you imagine his surprise when he was met with a police officer with a sense of humour…
Mr Naidoo believed he had a case of a cheeky police officer and posted the footage of his interaction with her online, telling social media users he believed he was wronged. Luckily, we are a little smarter than taking information at face value, we read between the lines, so Naidoo’s footage backfired on him.
The point here is that not all police officers are out to get a bribe, they are not all lazy and they are not all people who should be feared. In fact, these are the minority. The majority of officers are brave men and women who should be respected and honoured.
For those friends and families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty, I say thank you. Thank you for supporting our men and women in blue, and thank you for sharing them with the rest of us. These heroes gave up their lives so that we could, hopefully, have a better one.
For those officers who are still on duty fighting for a better South Africa, thank you. Thank you for doing your job with dignity, and for putting up with cheeky motorists and residents you face on a daily basis. Thank you for your passion, for protecting us, and thank you for the services you provide.
