Back the Blue

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, we are here to commemorate another police week, and I think the average American never has an opportunity to see what the average policeman goes through and the risks they take.

Fortunately, as a Congressman and, as you mentioned before that, a State legislator, I had an opportunity to try to do a couple ride- alongs with local police departments and local sheriff's departments.

I think until you spend time with law enforcement, you don't realize the risks that they go through routinely and without complaining. Whether it is a domestic situation where they are going up to a door not knowing if one of these people is armed, not knowing what you are going to confront, but having to knock on that door and go in there anyway.

Doing a routine traffic stop--because if you are in a squad car, no traffic stop seems routine--you have no idea whether that person is armed, whether that car is going to take off, or what is going to happen. Every night, due to the job, the average law enforcement officer will be involved in, I would estimate, three or four incidents. During these incidents, the officer is faced with the unknown. Who is the other person in that car? Who is the person behind that door?

I encourage all my colleagues to take advantage of their position, do a ride-along, get to know a little bit more about your police so you not only respect what they are doing, but know how incredibly professional they are. See what a great job they do. You will quickly realize that the few naysayers in this building who run down the police, it is not consistent with the statistics at all.

In fact, there are few occupations as noble, respectful, and make you feel good about yourself and your accomplishments than what a policeman does every night.

I will make another comment, Madam Speaker. It is good to spend a shift with this batch, as well.

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