21 Feb 12

“Retired” LEO?

This from a recently-retired LEO and colleague in NM:

“I must confess, my Brother:

I retired recently from our local PD and promptly ‘distanced myself’ from the continuing obligation of carrying. Loosely translated into plain English: I got lazy!

However, watching the news soon ‘woke me up.’ There are many of us out here who have retired, who are not currently ‘sworn,’ but still feel the deep sense of duty that first attracted us to the LE profession, so many years ago.

We’re not ‘washed-up,’ even though we’re no longer working full-time.”

Comment: In my experience, LEOs who, after official retirement, don’t continue to carry regularly, are the same ones who never carried anyway, even when they were full-time!

These are the ones who hate guns, hate training, have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the range, always score poorly, are never motivated to get better, and can always be counted upon to handle guns carelessly, precipitating NDs, upon which they, of course, predictably blame the gun itself.

They should never have been hired!

We call them POVTOs (Police Officers by Virtue of Title Only), and every department has a few.

Conversely, in many parts of the County, we have groups of HAOWOSs (Heavily-Armed Officers, Without Official Status). There are retirees who haven’t forgotten, and never will!

“Police” is not what we do. It is what we are!

Good and decent people (police or otherwise), heavily-armed, is a good thing- for ourselves, families, communities, and our nation. We need every one we can get!

Violent criminals, in the act of committing violent felonies, need to be gunned-down by the armed righteous, on the spot. That is a good thing too!

Can we say that?

“Better to be ‘seen’ than ‘viewed!’”

Gardner

/John