Domestic abuse of Police Officers
It is estimated that one in three females are likely to be victims of abuse in their lifetime while men are estimated to be one in every six males. Majority of these abuses occur at home, with the violence as a mistake of the abuser and not the mistake of the abused. In such cases, victims often run to the law enforcement for salvage. It is however unknown how safe the police are in their duties to restore calm among conflicting members. As a law enforcer, police respond to calls of domestic associated problems in families and couples. However, law enforcers cannot control homes environment and mediate domestic disputes. Counselors should arise and ensure that harmony exists in most homes by training the public on the characters of an abuser and ways of overcoming instances of being abused. These among other approaches will enable the public reduce the rising statistics on domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse is mostly driven by the insatiable demand for power and control and assumes many forms. When a partner willfully acquires more power over the partner, physical, emotional of financial abuse creeps in the union. This is the major cause of disagreement between the husband and the wife that fateful night when Officer Ashley Guindon was killed. As a law enforcement officer, she was answering to the distress call made about household problem between a man and a wife. As other officers had previously done, she went to the rescue of the citizens unknown to her that she will meet her death.
Domestic problems are part of the roles of the police officer as these problems are categorized as elements that limit law and order; often running in a cycle. Initially, a couple enjoys wonderful relationship. At the progression of the relationship, tension starts building in, which culminates with acts of violence. This turns again to the honeymoon stage where the abuser becomes remorseful making the victim assume the action as an isolated incident. People with the potential to be abusive in future are often characterized by jealousy as a sign of love, controlling behavior for the safety of the lover, are quickly involved in a relationship, have unrealistic expectations within the relationship, and isolate the lover from the rest of the close relations. Others may possess additional characters like blaming others for their problems, blames others for the feelings, cruelty to animals and children, and are hypersensitive.
Police officials have in the past passed on in their line of duty as they sought to assist the public. However, majority of the people are presently taking for granted the sacrifice police officers make to save them. This is attributed by the increased number of victims who die in the hands of the officers and the fact that few officers have faced the law due to their acts. Some lawbreakers are killed by the police as they disobey enforcers’ commands. The public however fails to realize that even though both the public and the officers succumb to injuries related to security, police officers peg their lives on the duty to serve the public. Nevertheless, police responsibilities have been assumed to lay one’s life for the citizens who at times take this for granted. The fallen officers die prematurely before accomplishing some of their goals, leave behind families and friends and their gaps in the society are at times too difficult to fill. Another influencing factor in the increased deaths of officers in their line of duties is the increased availability of arms in the hands of the public in addition to increased military tactics acquired by the public. It is also estimated that currently few people are likely to attack the police and harm them.
Statics record that the number of police officers dying in their line of duty is reducing, while the number of the public who die at the hands of the officers remaining the same. This does not conversely prove the security of the officers while serving the nation. Copious factors, nevertheless, have led to the reduction of the number of deaths among the police officers. Among them include the ubiquitous utilization of bulletproof vests as well as minimized high-speed chases of the police. Even though some instances make it impossible to prevent death of the police officer, other situations have been controlled by the deterioration of quick action and the shoot-first mentality. The fact that officers die in the line of duties are not news to the public as statistics show that the number of people dying in the hands of the officers has remained the same all through. This has led to the negative perception that the police officers are now secure and turned against the public. This negative perception has further resulted to “war on police.” Felonious killings of the officers have seen increased number of officers die after confronting the public. The public needs to appreciate the invaluable sacrifice the officers make as they carry out their daily activities. Leaders are therefore called to strategize to reduce further the death toll among the police officers. The public needs to respect the law and the police to ensure security of both parties in the future.