"You Don't Know What It's Like to Be a Cop!"
Written by Ann Futscher
"After following the trail of former San Bernardino County Deputy Ivory J Webb Jr. and reading the numerous letters to the editor concerning the incident, I’d like to add my two cents.
The first thing I want to say to all of you who seem to hate him is, “Walk a mile in my shoes.”
99% of you have never ridden in a police unit, much less at 100 mph chasing someone who does not want to meet you and is endangering the lives of innocent people.
99% of you have never felt the adrenaline rush that comes from the fear of the unknown and the uncertainty of a high-speed chase.
99% of you have never worn a badge or had to make split-second decisions that could mean your life.
99% of you have never had to deal with the drunk, the drugged, the pedophile or the armed, or wash your hands over and over to try to get rid of the feeling of a dead infant that you had to take from its mother’s arms.
99% of you want to run as far and as fast as you can when gunshots are being fired or a catastrophe is taking place – rather than run toward them.
99% of you have never had your 4 year old boy hanging on you and begging you not to go to work because he was petrified that you will get shot like one of your co-workers of whom he overheard you talking.
99% of you have never been to the funeral of a dear friend who died in the line of duty protecting all of you and leaving a wife and children to try to manage on their own.
99% of you are rarely in danger at work, home or play because a deputy or a policeman puts himself between you and those who would do you harm.
99% of you don’t mind if people know what you do for a living but many deputies and policeman would rather you didn’t know what they do because of the climate of hate in this country for those who wear a badge.
99% of you have a much longer life expectancy after retirement than policemen, which is seven years.
99% of you have never had to thank God that you’re going home at the end of a shift.
I could go on and on. I have been the wife of a deputy sheriff, now retired, for 30 years, and I am currently the mother of a deputy sheriff.
When my husband hired on the department in 1966, the pay was $575 a month and he had to buy his own uniforms and gun. He did not become a deputy for the money, but because he wanted to help people.
As a family we sacrificed many holidays and countless hours with Dad because of the job, and back then there was no overtime or holiday pay.
We lived with the fear that one day he might not come home.
There were countless days of “Shhh, Dad’s sleeping,” because of the shifts he had to work.
How many times did I lie in bed at night alone, fearful because I heard a noise? I remember when we had the terrible fires and floods in Alta Loma in the early 1970’s and my husband couldn’t come home because he was helping others.
During all of those years I was proud to say my husband was a deputy, and I still am.
Today in this country we are proud of our military, and we should be. Our U.S. military is second to none. Their job is to protect us around the world.
Well people, let me tell you something. Our American police and deputy sheriffs are exactly the same. They just protect us here at home.
Teach your children to respect authority by the way you talk about policemen and deputies in your family, and the next time you see one, say, “Thank you for what you do.”
The quality of life that you are able to live, wherever you live, is due in large part to your police force.
Deputy Webb was not tried by a jury of his peers. His peers would have all been deputies. He was tried by people just like you who hear everything, saw everything and declared him innocent.
I for one want to thank Deputy Webb for the years of service he’s given to his community, and I want him to know he and his families are welcome in my home anytime.
I also want to state that feel that anyone who is declared innocent in a court of law should not be tried again on federal charges.
What does the word innocent mean, anyway?”
-Ann Futscher is a resident of Alta Loma. She is married to a retired sheriff’s deputy and is the mother of a sheriff’s deputy.
This article is one of the reasons why Chaplains Bob and Jane Keller serve as volunteers with Pomona Police Department. We have a love and passion for those in law enforcement.
