PAX Centurion - January / February 2015

Page 30 • PAX CENTURION • January/February 2015 617-989-BPPA (2772) A s law enforcement officers we are used to the press and some of the general public bashing us. Whatever good we may do hardly ever finds it’s way to the front pages of the Herald or the Globe. Hardly ever does television media cover the lit- tle things cops do to make a difference in people’s lives. We are the only defense that stands between a civil society and what has most recently become chaotic. Many officers are disheartened by the lack of politicians stepping up to defend them. From the President on down, there silence is deafening to those of us who wear a blue uniform. But for a few, including our own Mayor Marty Walsh, no others have come forward to defend the most recent Grand Jury decisions in Ferguson and New York City which have caused riotous protest throughout the country. Our outgoing Governor who is no friend of law enforcement made sure he kicked us in the teeth on the way out the door. Let’s hope the door didn’t hit his ass on the way out or he will be blaming us for that as well! The job may be a rewarding one financially but it has become harder to perform in light of recent events and lack of support from law makers. Their silence has put a bullseye on all our backs. They all played a part in two of NewYork’s Finest being assassinated, as well as the rest of the attacks around the country. I have heard little from our elected leaders to defend our court system and the jurors who made their decision. Instead we are letting protestors who can care less about the facts of the cases or those who were killed run amuck in our communities. Different factions who are only looking to pillage and plunder in the name of justice are swarming our cities and we are being told to stand fast and let them vent! Some of these miscreants are chanting they want “dead cops now!” In my career I have never seen such hatred towards our profession! Shame on our President on down for allowing the Al Sharpton’s of the world to turn our country into a racial divide. What happened to cooler heads prevail? Instead all who wear blue have been hung out to dry and to fend for them- selves. Everyone whoever had hatred for cops are now brazenly stepping up to challenge them. We are on our own! With that being said there are still many of us who refuse to let this hatred and race baiting get in the way of doing our jobs. Most recently in East Boston a civilian found a little puppy (pictured above) running around lost on McClellan Highway. They managed to corral the little puppy and bring her to A-7. The poor thing was shaking from the cold and scared out of her wits! Two of our female officers, Shana Cottone and Kat Shea, managed to calm the puppy down. Calls were made to inquire if any dogs were reported lost or stolen from surrounding towns but nothing came up. Captain Kelley McCormick took the The little things cops do By Mark A. Bruno dog to Sandy Paws Grooming inWinthrop and had her groomed at his own expense. The dog was taken by Officer Cottone for a couple of nights. Officers were still unable to locate an owner so they did the next best thing and found a home for her. The Velez family surprised their eleven year old daughter for Hanukkah. As you can see above they were elated to have her! They named the dog Lucy which in Hebrew means light. Of course this act of kindness never made it to the press! Another call included Officer RalphAmoroso and I in which a thirteen year old was arrested for a domestic because he threw a backpack at his mother. It turns out the young boy was stopped for shoplifting a bag of chips and a Gatorade at a local supermarket and his mother came to get him and brought him home. When she told him he would be punished for a month he threw a backpack with books at her. He stated he never meant to hit her with the backpack. Officers asked why he stole the items and he said he asked his mother for five dollars to buy the items because he was hungry but she would not give it to him. Officers asked the mother about this and she stated the family is financially strapped and she did not have money to give her son. The apartment was sparsely furnished and the kids were sleeping on mattresses placed on the floors of their bedrooms. There are many sad cases like this that we encounter all the time. This young boy after being processed was fed by officers and told to come byA-7 and ask for them if he was ever hungry again. A few days later Officer Amoroso and I purchased a winter jacket and brought it by for the boy. We told the mother of several programs she could enroll her boys in for free through our CSO. We also told her about officers who take kids to shop with do- nated gift cards from local stores and merchants. Many times officers exceed the gift card limit and take the money from their own pockets to pay for the items. We are not a bunch of heartless, unconscious individuals like the press and protestors make us out to be. It would really be nice if law makers had our backs. The gratitude and thank you’s are few and far in between for the little things that cops do.