February 11, 2014 - 1100

My work schedule is sometimes hectic. As a shift worker, I am officially assigned to work 3pm to 11pm. However, as the police that can change at a moments notice. And lately it's been at a point where we as a department have been working 12 hour shifts, some more often than not. Even myself, as the supervisor and one who does the scheduling, this means making some folks unhappy with my decisions. I am not one to shrink from my own responsibility as an officer either. I work the 12 hour shifts just like every other officer in the department. It takes a toll on a persons sleeping pattern, eating habits, exercise routine, and family life. These are a few lines on my own thoughts about extra work.

Sometimes Money Isn't Worth The Cost

While the money is always good

And appreciated when the time comes

The times missed with my wife and dog

Are not measured in dollars and cents

I am not worried about the lost sleep

While I am out on the road patrolling

It's the time lost with my family at home

Worried about me that's precious and gone

The pup remembers me when I come home

Whether it's midnight or four in the morning

My wife sleeps a fitful sleep when I'm not there

When I am out making the city safe for strangers

Every hour, minute, second that I am over

I am under pressure, self-induced, to make a difference

There is no pressure to do anything but be there

But I am more than just a body in a car

Crawling the streets, I am more than a uniform

In a gaudily decorated automobile; standing out in the dark

I am standing out in the dark to keep

Bad guys at bay, and so that good people can sleep

Even when my wife, at home alone, can't sleep well until I am there with her.