Statement from FOP Lodge 9 President Brian Steel
Last Friday, while I was out of town enjoying vacation with my family, CPD officers were forced to exchange gunfire with a violent offender on Columbus’ East Side. This should serve as another wake-up call to everyone in this community: our police officers face the possibility of being killed every time they put on the uniform.
I am extremely grateful that our officers were not seriously injured and that they were able to go home to their families. But we cannot allow that outcome to make us forget what happened or minimize the danger they faced.
In a matter of seconds, these officers were forced to confront a potentially deadly situation and make split-second decisions that could have determined whether they lived or died.
That is the reality of policing.
To our elected officials: when you debate police budgets, staffing, training, equipment and public safety policies, remember that these are not abstract issues. Real men and women are wearing that badge and putting their lives on the line. They deserve the pay, benefits, resources, staffing, training and support necessary to go home safely.
And to those who routinely criticize law enforcement while ignoring the dangers officers confront: spend a day walking in their shoes before passing judgment on decisions made in a matter of seconds under circumstances most people will never experience.
I am proud of our officers, grateful they are safe, and proud to stand with them.
The badge does not make someone bulletproof. The uniform does not make them invincible. They are husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who deserve to go home at the end of every shift.
Never forget the dangers our members face every single day.
Support your police. Support public safety. And never take for granted the men and women willing to stand between danger and the people they serve.