To Protect and Serve...

All my life I've had a difficult time smiling when I think of a law enforcement officer.  My reaction to the thought is more like a cringe.  Hey, there's a reason they're called "pigs," right?  These are the guys who cost you time and money when they pull you over, the ones who direct traffic yet seem to make it go slower, the ones who make you walk on eggshells.  They are also the ones who are here to protect and serve.


During the class visit to the Orient Road Jail, I realized these men and women are people too, not just the people we try to avoid.  They crack jokes and can be just as funny as the next.  But they have three purposes in mind and that is to protect themselves, other officers and the people.


I was interested to learn more about the officer inmate ratio.  I was in shock to hear that there is only one deputy managing 72 inmates in a direct supervision environment.  I would also like to add that they do it unarmed.  Their biggest form of weapon is the pepper foam.  They use foam instead of spray because otherwise it would disperse everywhere into other deputies' eyes.  The Orient Road Jail is constructed into six housing units with four pods in each.  Each pod houses 72 inmates who are either in one cell individually or with another roommate.  They are allotted a certain amount of time each day for meals, recreation and bathing.


One can only imagine how difficult it is to get along with a few roommates, let alone 71 others.  These men and women are locked up in small corridors and are allowed to partake in very few activities throughout the day.  This must get frustrating and I can only imagine an inmate lashing out on an deputy at any given moment.  This can be a domino effect and once one goes, they all go.


That one deputy is given some mace and a two-way radio.  With only those resources, he can call for help and fend off the attackers.  Within the amount of time before other officers are running into the pod, anything can happen.  A deputy has to start fighting for his life instantly and hopefully only for a few seconds until he gets help.


That one person, defending himself all day every day, is a scary thing.  In a 2008 article from the Tampa Tribune, one officer stated that there are nights when "everybody is congenial" and there are nights when "everybody wants to fight. It depends on the moon. It's very erratic and sporadic." Knowing that, I would be scared every single second of the day.  The average stay in Orient Road Jail is 18 days.  That's 432 hours -- 25,920 minutes -- and 1,555,200 seconds to think of a way past their managing deputy and a way out.  


So now when I think of a law enforcement officer, I'm not going to think of the guy who gave me a speeding ticket, I'm going to think of the men and women who put their lives on the line every single day -- to protect and serve.