Paul Harvey: Police

Today, we thought it would be great to include this video/transcript to honor the men and women of the Baldwin City Police Department. Not just the BCPD, but every police agency in Douglas and Miami Counties. We thank Paul Harvey, who put into words our thoughts better, than I myself could, for this great reminder. We thank all the men and women of the our local police and sheriffs departments, the Highway Patrol, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and every agency in between.


Yeah, policeman! A policeman is a composite of what all men are I guess the mingling of saint and sinner, dust and dearly. What that really means is that they are exceptional they are unusual they are not commonplace. Buried under the fraud is the fact, and the fact is the less than one half of one percent of policemen misfit that uniform and that is a better average than you'd find among clergyman. What is the policeman he of all men is at once the most needed and the most wanted. A strangely nameless creature who is Sir to his face and pig or worse behind his back. He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals so that each will think he won but if a policeman is neat he's conceited if he's careless he's a bum if he's pleasant he's a flirt if he's not he's a grouch he must make instant decisions which would require months for a lawyer but if he hurries he's careless, if he's deliberate he is lazy.
He must be first to an accident, infallible with the diagnosis. He must be able to start breathing stopped bleeding, tie splints and above all be sure the victim goes home without a limp. The police officer must know every gun draw on the run and hit where it doesn't hurt.
He must be able to whip two men twice his size and half his age without damaging his uniform and without being brutal. If you hit him he's a coward if he hits you he's a bully.
The policeman from a single human hair must be able to describe the crime, the weapon, the criminal and tell you where the criminal is hiding, but if he catches the criminal he's lucky if he doesn't he's a dunce. He runs, files, and writes reports until his eyes ache to build a case against some felon, who get dealed out by a shameless shameless. The policeman must be a minister, a social worker, a diplomat, a tough guy and a gentle man and of course he'll have to be a genius because you have to feed a family on a policeman's salary.