In the Life of a True Hero

     Imagine going to work, saying goodbye to your family, and knowing that there's a chance you might leave them forever and never coming home. Imagine a job that  puts you under intense scrutiny by the media and the community that you swore to protect everyday. Making arrests, dogging bullets, dealing with some of the worst criminals society has to offer, and saving lives as just part of a typical day in the office. It takes a true test of character, will, determination, and devotion to take on such a job as this one. This for tells the job of a true hero, a police officer.
    
     People become police officers for many particular reasons whether it's to serve justice, to protect people, save lives, help people make better choices in life, or just for the vast variety in diversity of job tasks it takes someone who willing devotes their lives to making a difference. Endless possibilities occur when saving the life in the line of duty. Police officers may have to face there fears when battling against a hot fire with black cloud blowing in there face making it hard to breathe while trying to pull a person from a burning car or house fire. They could also serve in a first aid to a shooting where they need to calm the bleeding victim down from their shrikes of pain while compression the bloody wounds and being able to stomach the site of it all. For my father, Police Chief Barry Templin of Douglassville Township Police department, his reason to join was very clear. "I became a police officer because the profession I was in was becoming boring and monotonous. It didn't seem to have a purpose," he proclaimed. "The police profession sparked my curiosity because I would get to give back to our community and I would get to see things that people will never see in a lifetime. No two days are the same. The profession is exiting, and I felt meaning and purpose when it came to going to work."


Chief Barry Templin

     Police Chief Templin has been a cop for 24 years now and a police chief for 10. He stands at 6'4'' and is roughly 275 pounds. Looking into Chief Templin's green eyes and noticing his military crew cut and brown mustache shows his strong, intimidating demeanor as a cop. Then you are slowly relieved but the rushing feeling of his strict but fair attitude when on the job.

     Chief Templin has worked all his life being an officer at Douglass Township. He stated off as a patrol officer made his way through the ranks by becoming a Lieutenant, then a Sargent, and finally when the old chief retired was offered Chief. In the township you will find ten other officers including two secretaries in the office. His officers are very qualified some having a pervious history in the military. One if his officers is also on the SWAT team and very qualified and well trained when it comes to their firearms. The other officers need at least a college degree and Chief Templin is very strict on who he hires to represent his department. This is essentially the crew Chief Templin works when coming into work each day.

Front of Douglass Township police department.

     Chief Templin wakes up early every morning around 6 so he can get into the office by 7. The night  time officers are usually rapping up at this time as the morning shift begins to come in. When coming up onto the station you get a sense of safety and security running through you because you know each officer in that building is willing to do anything within their power to protect you and their community from the evil in the streets. The building has a make up of brick wall and has a sign welcoming you into the station. Tons of cop cars fill the parking lot that the officers take out while on duty everyday of the job. Some include typical patrol cars, jeeps, and a dodge charger typically used for catching speeders. Coming through the door, a secretary, found to the left and a two way mirror to the right. You must know the pad code at the door to actually get you into the station. Once in the station there typically sits three to four officers working at there desks in full uniform. The desks take open up the floor by sitting pushed against the walls going around the rectangular room standing on a brown carpet. Towards the back of the room contain two separate rooms that belong to the Chief and Sargent of the station.

     Each morning starts with roll call where Chief Templin goes over the what happened on the night shift, any updates the officers need informed of, and what to expect and what tasks to handle for the day. After, he then checks the record management system to approve and review calls written by the officers the previous night. Doing all the paperwork contains, to some, the most stressful part of the job. Chief Templin believes the complete opposite. "The main source of stress in this job when I was working the street was the shift work.  Too many times than not, it took away from my personal life" he stated in a lower and sadder tone of voice. "I was unable to attend many family functions and events because I was working.  I dealt with the stress by working out.  Many times I would get done work at 0600 hours and be at the gym at 0630 hours working out to relieve me of my stress." Stress makes it very difficult on officers to cope with when on and off duty. They see the worst society has to offer and need to find ways of coping healthy so it doesn't effect their family life or the life they live off the job.

      Once the record management system has been completed that day, there's a meeting with the township manager to discuss and new or important factors that  go on in the community and need addressing. Also at thee meeting topics, some of the occurrences that are taken place more frequently then others and new methods to handle in order to deter them form occurring again are discussed upon. "The most common occurrences that my police officers face on the street are your routine activities such as: traffic accidents, traffic stops, domestic issues, drug issues, and thefts.  I am in an administrative position so my duties are more in line of keeping the police department running smoothly and making sure the police officers have the tools to do the job." For the chief of police conducting meetings occurs as an essential part of there jobs. Meetings keep the township up and running and all the officers in order. All meetings stay open to the general public to come and listen to how the police are keeping their community running and in order. Attending these meetings brings a sense of relief to the citizens of the community knowing that the township runs as it should and that the officers keep deterring crime in which in return make the streets safe.

     UCR's or Uniformed Crime Reports show another essential job for the Chief to handle. UCR's measure time and place. Uniformed Crime Reports are data collected from the police departments about the arrests and criminal activity in there community. URC's take place once a month. They also represent the primary source of crime rates for the media. As good as the reports on crime state, they may not always come out very accurate. The UCR's weakness shows that not all crimes  report to the police and not every arrest that's made actually go to trail and convict that criminal which can be very discouraging at times. "A thing that discourages me at time in our profession is dealing with the judicial system when writing up the UCR's. At times the end result of a case does not turn out how you wish it would especially for the victim," Chief Templin stated with distaste. When writing up UCR's the Chief gets to see all the crimes that were actually convicted and those they were released and then report it to the State Police so they can log it into their statistics.

Row of police cars at the station.

     Since the UCR's take place only once a month Chief Templin then has extra time on other days to patrol the streets. He usually goes through all the neighborhoods and businesses to make the patrol car seen to the community. Allowing the patrol car to be seen helps to deter crime and build up community relations. While on patrol Chief Templin came up onto a familiar road. "This was my first arrest was, a D.U.I. arrest," he said excitingly."I observed a van drive up onto the sidewalk and crash into the guiderail of an overpass bridge on SR-0073.  The driver fled from the van and I pursued him on foot and caught him later hiding behind some bushes.  The driver was two times the legally limit." This was one of Chief Templin's proudest moments not because of the man who could have veered off the road at any point and harmed himself or someone else on the road, but for the fact that now he felt as though he was finally making a difference protecting the evil from the prey. While going down some narrow woods in the back of the township as the sun started setting you could almost get a sense of sadness and a stern but serious look came across Chief Templin. Across from a small bridge was a dark house in the back of the woods with just a little light shinning in the window. It was a house you would see in a horror movie and think to yourself, why would these idiots head into that house. "The most severe call that I handled was a triple homicide on July 02, 2011.  One of the deceased was a two year old child.  It was very emotional and shocking to every police officer’s psyche," Officer Templin stated with despairing mournful sound in his voice." This gives witness to just one of the many horrible sites that the police come across on this cruel job. On a better note there are also things the chief Templin enjoys doing on the job, mostly with giving back to the community.

     "Some things that I enjoy about police work are running programs that give back to the community such as: the D.A.R.E. program in which we speak to elementary school children about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure; Drug Take Back Initiative program in which the public is allowed to turn in their unused, unwanted or expired medications to be properly disposed; the Premises Alert program in which allows our police department to better handle some-one who is autistic, mentally ill, or has some other mental disability when they come in contact with police by having their information beforehand." Police work contains more then fighting crime or seeing all these terrible acts of violence. Sometimes the most important way to give back to the community involves being there and helping someone in need, helping them learn right from wrong so that they have a chance at  wonderful and successful future.

Police Glock 22 with Chief Templin's badge and cuffs.

     As a ending to the very long day in the life of a police officer chief Templin heads back to the station to finish paperwork, take incoming calls, or clean his weapon, the Glock 22 (.40 caliber). A cops weapon arises as an essential part of him and his duties. Unlike many people think its a last resort in self-defensive when his life or the life of another innocent civilian gets threatened. All cops come extremely well trained when it comes to handling, operating, and shooting the weapon when needed to. During the academy they learn how to operate their weapon to the fullest extent. They know to take it apart piece by piece and re-assemble it once again. They know the in and outs of the weapon and how to handle it with care and precision. They know how to properly clean the weapon and finally how to execute with shooting it so they it may protect them and the citizens of their township. Many citizens and even the media make cops out as the bad guys when having to use their weapon in the line of duty. Police officers receive notification day one in the academy that lethal force and a last resort in order to control crime. Nothing more, nothing less. "I do not have any real feelings about carrying a firearm.  For me its apart of the police officer’s tool bag just like a flashlight and handcuffs would be.  I really do not think about the possibility of taking some-one’s life because that is something that I nor any police officer sets out to do.  I would rather try to work things out and steer whoever it may be on a more righteous and responsible path.  Deadly force is the last resort; however, for protection of life of myself or the victim, yes, I do not have any hesitation on using it."

     The career choice of police officers contain a very demanding job where anything could happen on any given day. It's a choice, a commitment for the strong, determined, and the loyal. Many obstacles need overcoming with being involved in law enforcement to protect yourself and the community you serve every day. Police officers don't look for the glory, the fame, or a spotlight in the papers, they only need to feel the change they make in their community and that's what makes them true hero's.