All of us know that today’s police officers face unprecedented challenges. They’re on the front lines when mass shootings erupt, first responders when natural disasters strike, and among the first to arrive at the scene following suicides. Police intercede when urban gangs do battle, console victims of domestic and sexual assaults, respond to reports of home invasions and traffic fatalities, and investigate narcotics distribution rings. The list is endless. And some officers pay the ultimate price in the line of duty. All of this is occurring at a time when police are under the microscope more than ever since the creation of our nation’s first publicly funded, full-time police department in Boston in 1838. What is it – given the relentless stressors and risks faced by today’s police officers – that draws them to this vocation? How do officers cope with the steady diet of challenges they face day to day, and night to night? This week we hear from Providence Police Department officer Carla Cavanaugh, who gives us her up close and deeply personal look.
Listen
Pause
