The Life of a Police Officer

I think that one of the things with being in law enforcement is you realize the value of each day. You know that it could be your last. When you walk out those doors and you go to work, you know that you might not come home. And that's true for any public service—police, fire, medical ... I always just believe that I would live each day to the fullest.

The life expectancy of a police officer after we retire is not good because of the stress ... They say if you do 30 years, your life expectancy is 5 years. If you do 25 years, it's between 5 and 7. And if you do 20 years, it's between 5 and 10.

Everything you see, think, hear, feel, do, or say imprints in your body on a cellular level. So, be mindful of the TV you watch, of the friends you hang out with, the social media you scroll because all of that is imprinting your body, and it changes your cellular makeup. It actually changes your biology.

Going through a career in law enforcement as a woman is neither better nor worse; it's just different. We bring something different to the table, and if we learn how to really capitalize and maximize that, then it's a win.

If people feel alone, isolated, and socially dejected, that longing for connection will prevail. That's where you see online radicalization happen. That's where you see the recruitment for terrorist activities. I'll even argue that's where you see gang recruitment.

The more I learned about human connection and the need for it, the more I understood what the root of policing really is.

I think, at the end of the day, that's what all humans long for—that connection to something bigger than ourselves.

It's the worst day in a police officer's life. Nobody wants to take somebody else's life or use deadly force.