Police Officer's Memorial Savannah, Georgia

Carol had a quilt guild meeting yesterday morning. I had some time to wander around while I waited for her meeting to finish. It seemed like a good time to go to downtown Savannah and see a few things I had been driving by and hadn't taken the time to really see. My first stop was on Oglethorpe Avenue and this handsome statue.

This memorial is dedicated to the police officers from Savannah and other local law enforcement agencies who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

What becomes clear very quickly when viewing this monument is that being a law enforcement officer in this area is a dangerous profession. I worked in a prison with some pretty unpleasant members of society for over 20 years. In my work assignments from time to time I would have conversations with front line law enforcement officers. They would almost without exception say they wouldn't want my job because of what we go through daily. My usual response was to remind them that my job was much easier. I knew everyone in here was dangerous and why. They had daily contact in their job often not knowing if the person they were interacting with was a normal citizen or a homicidal maniac. They have a difficult and often thankless job to perform every day and they know the risks. They go and do the job anyway. I feel most for their families. They say goodbye to their loved one at the beginning of the shift never knowing if they will see them again. Across the street from the memorial is the Metropolitan Police Station.

It would be reasonable to ask one question about this picture, Why are there steps going up to a brick wall?

The steps mark the old entrance to the building. A reminder of the officers who walked in on those steps from 1870 to 1949. Near the entrance there are two old police cars.

So my advice is simple. When you have the opportunity to speak to a law enforcement officer take a minute to say thanks. Buy them a cup of coffee. Just let them know you appreciate the work they do every day.