Police officers face dangers - & the same challenges we all do
Too often, when we look at a police officer, all we see is the badge. And some of the issues that go with it.
When they do good, they are merely doing their job. But when they do something wrong, or something the public questions, there is no place to hide.
In the wake of the latest school shooting in Parkland, Fla., law enforcement came under withering criticism for failing to take prompt action to intervene and confront the “troubled” young gunman.
That was not the case Tuesday in Maryland, where an officer is now being hailed for taking down a shooting suspect.
But those are the extremes. What is unsaid is that, when they are not wearing that badge, police officers face the same daily issues and challenges as the rest of us.
They don’t get the luxury most of us do, to handle our jobs for the most part in anonymity. That does not make their experiences any less poignant. And sometimes tragic. It is often said that law enforcement families live every day with a creed that is too well known: When they leave for work each day, there is no guarantee they will return home later safe and sound. It goes with the job.
Perhaps that’s why when they deal with a tragedy outside the job, it hurts that much more.
The Newtown Township police department and Delaware County law enforcement community is in mourning today. They lost one of their own. Newtown Sgt. Clinton Cunningham was doing something so many of us do. He was working out. He was not on duty.
Clinton Cunningham was 37 years old. He was a married father of four young children. And now he’s gone. Cunningham suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage while working out over the weekend. Furious attempts to revive him – both at the gym and the hospital – were unsuccessful.
His brothers and sisters in blue are trying to comprehend their loss, while at the same time offering aid to his grieving family.
“He was a great police officer, but he was an even better person,” said Newtown Police Chief Christopher Lunn.
Words were hard to come by at the Newtown police station; the tears are not.
“He was the epitome of a family man,” said one fellow officer. “He’s the only guy I know without an enemy.”
A recent award is testament to the kind of officer Cunningham was. Earlier this month, he was named “Officer of the Year,” an award voted by his peers in the police department.
His chief said he got an inkling of the kind of man Cunningham was during his initial interview back in 2013.
“He was the first officer I hired after I became chief,” Lunn said of Cunningham, who had spent nine years as a Philadelphia police officer before coming to the Delaware County suburbs. “In the interview, he really set himself apart. We look for people who are humble, hungry and smart. He exemplified all three.”
Lunn quickly noted that Cunningham easily fulfilled every criteria for the award: Displays positive behavior that makes the department a better place; supports colleagues; encourages teamwork and unit; demonstrates organizational commitment; leads by example; takes initiative to make things better; demonstrates professionalism and ethical behaviors; is wellrounded; and exemplifies the virtues of professionalism and dedication.
“We are a small department and Clinton was everybody’s friend,” Lunn said. “He was the most well respected officer we have in the department.”
Cunningham was scheduled to be officially promoted to sergeant on April 2. With the approval of the township board of supervisors, Lunn bestowed the title posthumously to Cunningham Tuesday.
“He had earned it,” the chief said.
Now the department must try to fill the void left by Cunningham’s absence.
But before they do that, they have rallied to the side of his family, including his wife, Kelly, and their two daughters and two sons.
The public also can acknowledge the loss of this public servant. A GoFundMe page, Sgt. Clinton Cunningham Memorial, has been established with funds going directly to the Newtown Police Officers Association Account on behalf of the Cunningham family.
To contribute, visit https://www.gofundme.com/sgt-clinton-cunningham-memorial.
And you might consider doing something else as well, something that might not be the popular thing to do these days.
Next time you see an officer, extend your hand and offer your thanks.
They put their lives on the line every day for us.
And they also shoulder the same challenges and personal issues all of us do in our private lives.
Just ask those who are mourning the loss of a sterling example of what community policing is supposed to be.
RIP, Sgt. Cunningham. Thank you for your service.