Law-enforcement officers understand, accept job hazards

In the dominion of my mind, no thought is more lamentable than knowing that your career may kill you.

But as Culpeper Police Sgt. Jason Deal told members of the Criminal Justice Academy this week, it’s a risk officers must understand and accept. And June 6, the risk materialized for Fredericksburg officer Todd A. Bahr. While searching for a suspect in a domestic incident, Bahr, 40, was shot in the head and killed.

I can unequivocally say that I’m glad we’ve all been instilled with different passions and skills.

Possibly dropping my debit card as I pass it to a drive-thru window employee or straining myself reaching for the remote is as close to danger as I usually care to get.

Closer to home, it’s clear that the newly formed joint SWAT team members, which utilize officers from the town police and the Sheriff’s Office, are passionate too. The class got to see them in action as they made an entry into our meeting room at the Depot, decked out in full gear.

Outside, the team displayed its tools of the trade. Tear gas, or CS gas as it is known by the police, spark-resistant pry bars and tools and flash-bang charges are some of the items the team employs, along with some 80 pounds of gear each member usually wears.

But when the SWAT team is called into high-intensity, quickly evolving situations, more tools would always be better.

That’s why Culpeper Lt. Scott Roy said our law enforcement agencies are always looking for equipment grants to supplement their gear.

I’m a firm believer of sacrificing form for function. Having enough of the right tools available makes any job safer and more efficient.

With Culpeper about equidistant from Richmond and D.C., Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Watson said the SWAT team would likely play a role in helping those communities recover from a large-scale regional incident or act of terrorism just as quickly as they’d come to the aid of Culpeper County residents.

“You can rest assured that if something goes bad, that you’re going to have trained personnel” available, Watson said.

Ironically, Watson said, some of the worst terrorism threats can come from home, courtesy of groups like the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front. In their efforts to rid the world of tyranny against animals and the environment, both groups have been accused of involvement in malicious acts and violence worldwide.

However, law enforcement is only one element of the criminal justice system. Over the final four weeks of the academy, I’ll learn how the Old Dominion’s judicial system delivers justice.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or ndelesline@starexponent.com.