As I scroll through various social media posts, I cannot help but notice that the violence in our society is escalating, especially towards those who are supposed to be protecting us.
During the past few months, I have read numerous articles about paramedics being called out to emergencies, only to be robbed at gunpoint upon their arrival. I have also noticed the increase in the attacks on the lives of security guards, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) members, and our men and women in blue – both on- and off-duty.
As a policeman’s wife, I understand the anxiety and uncertainty when your significant other gets ready for work, leaving you praying that he will be kept safe during his shift, to return to his family.
And, even though there are a few not so squeaky-clean individuals in these professions, the majority of them took an oath, and swore to serve and protect the community, no matter what. But, at what cost?
It seems that criminals are targeting these individuals, simply because they are wearing a certain uniform or driving a certain vehicle. It does not matter to them that the policeman or -woman stopping at the shop after a long shift to buy bread and milk for his or her family was unaware that there was a robbery in progress and was, essentially, at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The same goes for the JMPD officers at the routine roadblock, who are unaware of the contents of the vehicle they just stopped; the security guards responding to the emergency call and the paramedics rushing to save someone’s life.
For the criminals, these men and women are just a threat, simply because they are wearing a uniform or have something valuable (like medicine) they want.
In light of this, can we then blame these men and women for not always wanting to respond to a call? Can we blame them for being skeptical when receiving an emergency call?
I am not saying this is always the case, as I do realise that there are some rotten apples and lazy people in all of these professions, but, what I am saying is, before judging these men in women, try to understand what they are going through.
Try to remember that, just like you, they also have wives or husbands, moms, dads or children at home, anxiously waiting for their safe return, and, in the event of receiving that dreaded call, there will be another family having to deal with the loss of someone very important in their lives, and having to come to terms with the fact that nothing will ever be the same again.
Until next week…
