Every day I receive at least one press release from an RCMP detachment somewhere in B.C.
These releases — brief as they may be — provide a peek into the world of police officers in communities around this lovely province and the wide variety of stuff they have to deal with.
In one release from mid-August, Coquitlam RCMP officers were spreading the word about a stolen electric Toyota forklift.
The forklift went missing from a Coquitlam business overnight earlier this month, and police found skidmarks on the pavement from what they believe were thieves dragging the thing onto the back of a truck to make off with their loot.
You see, the thieves didn’t just drive it off the equipment lot because the key to the forklift was stored inside the business.
So if you come across a bright orange, older model forklift with the model number 7FBOU25, you may want to alert the appropriate authorities that you have found the loot of some less-than-bright criminals.
Why someone would steal a forklift, I have absolutely no idea. But there you have it.
Most of the releases I receive from RCMP are on the more serious side of what they do. They have to do with notices of missing persons, high-profile arrests, warrants for arrests, hit-and-runs, break-and-enters, weapons seizures … and the list goes on.
And that’s only a snapshot of the things officers see day in and day out.
It’s no wonder police officers are prone to burnout.
I recently had a conversation with a local cop on exactly this topic.
He had been the recipient of a text that was not intended for him, to which he responded, in the process identifying himself and his position within the local RCMP detachment.
The mis-texter then offered him a tip about what he/she believes to be drug activity in a local house — for a cash reward.
As if having action taken at the rumoured drug house isn’t enough of a reward, it takes money to make offering that information worth it.
As if, maybe, taking an active interest in your community’s wellness isn’t enough.
Or, you know, recognizing that police can’t simply go around kicking in doors, that they need reasons.
Here’s the part where cynics pipe up and say, well, the cops won’t do anything anyway, so what’s the point? In fact, this is the exact sentiment the mis-texter expressed (albeit with definite vitriol) to that officer.
All of a sudden cops are being trash-talked for not doing anything when they simply can’t force help on those who resist it.
There is something of a two-way street here, but some people have their blinders on and can only see what’s in their lane.
This particular officer is no rookie and the situation exasperated him. Imagine how frustrated people new to the force must find these kinds of baseless accusations.
Sadly, the same high burnout rate applies to paramedics, firefighters and social works, to name just a handful.
The fact this exasperation and eventual burnout is not entirely surprising is the real problem.
Maybe we need to look at our level of tolerance for burning out first responders.
Between May and August of this year, 17 Canadian first responders have killed themselves.
That’s 17 lives lost and untold lives changed as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition that often doesn’t show its symptoms overtly.
Police forces, paramedic organizations and fire departments across Canada are feeling the effects of these losses.
While first responders are trained to confront some of the ugliest situations imaginable, that training does not preclude their being affected by these situations.
Cynicism and a dark sense of humour are no match for some of the experiences these people have lived through, and have to live with.
As conversations around mental health, suicide and PTSD continue in the wake of actor/comedian Robin Williams’ suicide, let’s hope we don’t have to hear about casualty number 18.
Crime seeps into where it’s tolerated, and so does apathy.
