What a day in the life as a traffic police officer is like

If there are people we all love to hate are the police especially traffic officers who have been said to be the most corrupt Government officials in Kenya.

To most road users, a traffic police officer is worse than a landlord and a loan shark put together. Police officers wear many hats when fulfilling their role in society. In particular, police are involved in community building and crime prevention.

The community-oriented policing model has helped dispel the myth that cops spend most of their day collecting bribes. While patrolling and apprehending criminals will still be an important part of the job as a police officer, considerable time will also be devoted to public outreach and proactive problem-solving.

Traffic officers are hated for being suckers to the traffic regulations we all break regularly. We have been pulled over for over speeding, drunk driving, failing to come to a total stand-still at a stop sign or breaking what we feel are minor issues.

I am writing this article for two reasons. One is to stress the importance of the police department to give otherwise unknowing residents a glimpse of what is happening in your township, possibly without your knowledge.

Police departments are an odd animal in the sense that they provide services that hopefully you may never need and have never had opportunity to call upon. They are the sheepdogs of the community who keep your neighbourhoods safe around the clock.

They ensure that your family is able to travel safely upon the roadways. You think you live in a 'safe' community? Thank a police officer because he or she is largely responsible for your sense of security.

Don't get caught up in that what you paid for your home or the quality of your school district determines your level of immunity from crime. I assure you that burglars, thieves, and other people preying upon your family's good fortune know where the 'goods' are and target these areas specifically.

Yes, your neighborhood. You may have never had occasion to call the police but they provide this service without ever being summoned. It's what they do.

Before you burn all your energy on hating, the question is, have you ever thought about how this country would be without them? How many lives would perish if they took one week off? Do we have an idea what they go through to ensure that we reach home safely and that our kids make it to school and get back safely?

No! We selfishly criticise and overlook the importance of these selfless guys. I am no different. Over the weekend I lost my brother through a road accident in Karen, had the opportunity to spend the better part of Saturday with corporal James Wagura Githiji from Karen Police Station, I already knew what to expect from him. I was armed with words like, heartless, controlling, inconsiderate interventionist and other descriptive venomous words.

I visited the station to check if the accident was reported. The base commandant Ngari had a discussion with me in a very friendly manner and consoled with me and assigned CP Wagura to assist me.

Wagura had already booked the incident in the OB and answered my every question. He even took his time to educate me more on his line of duty and why they do the things they do.

Wagura was to work for 24 hours in helping accident victims and other right duties such as controlling traffic jam.

In conclusion, I would like to appreciate our police officers and the role they play in our lives while endangering their lives and neglecting their families.

From the above scenario the work police officers do takes a toll on them and those who cannot control it end up killing themselves or their loved ones.

The officers are human beings and go through the same challenges we through.

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