P1 Year in Review: Cops face challenges—it’s what they do

The coming year is a bit of a milestone for me. It marks my 20th year of having the honor to work with and for police professionals like you. As I look back, I’m reminded of how impressed I continue to be by your willingness to face even the most difficult challenges and your ability to overcome them.

When the going gets tough, you don’t stand paralyzed by uncertainty and risk. You evaluate. You strategize. You come together as a team, and you act. And when you meet obstacles, you don’t give up. You improvise, you adapt, and you overcome.

I’m inspired by that. Always have been…always will be.

It’s no secret that 2008 was a particularly challenging year. Budgets disintegrated, officers were laid off, academy classes were canceled, global security was tested, officers’ lives were risked...and officers’ lives were lost. It was a tough year.