“A widely recognized bane of the job among good cops is the inability or unwillingness of other cops to do their jobs.” – Dean Scoville – Lazy. Power hungry. Corrupt. Overweight. These are the words most people think of when asked to describe a police officer. But who really are these people behind the uniform? First of all, that's exactly what I am; people. Police officers are people. They have families, friends and lives. They get up every morning, drink coffee, read the newspaper and go to work, just like any other person. What I don't understand is why people attach a negative stereotype to police officers. People verbally attack these men and women on a daily basis, when all they are trying to do is their job. I, for example, know from personal experience what it means to have a father as a law enforcement officer. Every week I would go to school to have my friends or acquaintances inform me that "Sadie, your dad is an asshole. He ruined our party last night." Eventually, I got tired of hearing people denigrate my father and his work. I'd ask them, "So you're saying my dad is an asshole for doing his job?" The intelligent remarks quickly ended. The point I'm trying to make is this: People don't understand that these men and women put their lives on the line every day for the good of humanity. Police officers defend those who cannot defend themselves. But who defends police officers? I will do it. I'm sure this article won't stop anyone from considering robbing a bank, or forcing a wanted murderer to hand himself over. However, I hope to open readers' minds and change their minds. To help counter these common stereotypes I have listed Above. I interviewed two local police officers who have over fifteen years of experience in the field. The first officer I interviewed was Ben Rand. Agent Rand has a total of twenty-five years of experience. He initially served with the Johnson Police Department for a total of two years, then with the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office for one year. For the next thirteen years he served with the Bazetta Police Department and currently works with the Howland Police Department. The second agent I interviewed was Jeff Lane. Sergeant Lane served for nearly sixteen years with the Bazetta Local Police Department, where he held the position of Detective, and is now Sgt..