By Angry Old American – June 2, 2023

Copyright Angry Old American – June 2, 2023 – All Rights Reserved.

It is an unfortunate fact that many law enforcement and correctional officers are driven to drink in order to cope with the insanity of our present “legal system;” if it can even be called that. Drinking in excess has been the case for decades in a profession that consistently confronts horrors seldom experienced first-hand by the general public. Emergency responders not only witness traumatic events, but their profession requires that they participate in those events. These disadvantaged souls must make split-second decisions based only on a brief dispatch report, and information gathered from the chaos of the moment with their own two eyes, and ears; often with poor lighting and distracting noise. They are later evaluated and judged by desk jockeys, working in climate controlled well-lit and quiet offices, with all the time in the world to review a half-dozen or more witness reports gathered from dozens of eyes and ears from every possible vantage point. What’s worse is the proliferation of Social Justice Warriors in positions of authority throughout the criminal justice system who are anti-cop and pro-criminal.

Disillusionment sets in quickly when the officer realizes that one bad call, under the worst possible circumstances imaginable, can bring public backlash and ridicule, termination from employment, criminal charges, and/or crippling civil penalties. Yes, alcohol abuse is rampant among cops who respond to crimes, correctional staff who house dangerous felons, EMTs who respond to tragic life-and-death calls, and firefighters.

I look at this sad story of Sergeant Williams as the visible tip of a very large iceberg; the dividing-line being the others have not yet been caught. Speaking from first-hand experience, their job earns them a rare pat on the back, maybe a medal or certificate, and a modest pension at the end of the show. If their life goes-south in a big way, they become ill or seriously injured off-duty, and are abandoned for the sake of saving taxpayer money; orphaned by both their department and union. Their job of endless boring mundane routines are punctuated by adrenalin-laced madness, notes, reports and testimony in court. Depending on exposure to death and violence, the emotions of shock and awe superficially disappear as the officer learns professional-bearing. Experience and training mixed with fast thinking provide a filter from adrenalin peaks and accompanying emotions. “Feelings” are put on the back burner, to be dealt with later when the circumstances are more convenient. Thing is, those convenient moments never seem to arrive til the night-sweats and nightmares come to visit. In truth, they are not nightmares as much as bad memories. The only people they can share their experiences with are their professional fellows who are just as traumatized, disillusioned and burned-out as they are.

Is it any wonder that those who work in emergency services are more prone to family problems and divorce than any other line of work? Wives and kids are spared the gruesome details, and emotions are stuffed; once again. Perhaps drinking has come into the picture, social obligations missed, kid’s special events neglected, and life spins out of control.

The wonder is not why a person working in emergency services would be driven to drink; but why there are those who have not. In our modern “Woke” Social Justice Warrior Society, it is a wonder than there are any fine souls left who will do the freaking job. I wouldn’t do it!

It takes time and experience to become a Sergeant. Experienced personnel in all emergency services are hard to come-by in California’s contrived environment of “legal” anarchy. In my day, uniformed staff were always fair game for arrest and prosecution, while “The Suits,” upper-level administrators and Good-Ole-Boys, were never even booked. DUI is a serious charge, however there exists an extreme double standard in our Woke legal system. Law Enforcement Officers have always been held at a higher standard than others; but that standard has been magnified. Seems that the public expects the average cop to be an action hero straight out of a Marvel Comic Movie. Emergency Workers are only human, with the same mortal frailties as others, and mistakes are a fact of life.

I wish this Sergeant a swift journey into recovery and out the other side. I also hope their department and community weigh their record and experience while considering the future of their career.