Police Poetry
Police1’s poetry column highlights some of the inspirational, moving and funny poems authored by our readers. Email your original writing submission for consideration to editor@police1.com.
A retired sheriff addresses what the Thin Blue Line flag means to him and so many officers who wear or have worn the badge
An honor guard bagpiper pens a moving poem in memory of all our fallen brothers and sisters
“I wasn’t prepared for what I was gonna see...It was eight reindeer, pulling a sleigh, on the roof and looking down at me.”
The documentary “Crisis Cops” that follows Officers Joe Smarro and Ernie Stevens prompted one viewer to put pen to paper
An officer captures the heartbreaking moment a young son honors the memory of his fallen father
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Stagg, 67, a beat cop, hostage-crisis negotiator and “Taps” bugler, began his policing career in 1977 after serving in the Air Force
An LEO writes about how officers have become all things to all people – a peace bringer, a peacemaker, a peacekeeper
Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic, a published poet, wrote about the dangers police officers face every day
A veteran officer recounts the memory of a call that haunts him as he tries to sleep
How peer support helped an officer through trying times
A sergeant recounts his emotions after responding to calls where he could not save a life
A police spouse asks the public to never forget the heroic acts officers perform every day
An officer is inspired by the relentless work of her fellow LEO to rid the streets of the menace of impaired drivers
A police advocate challenges the public to speak out against the ongoing assault on the brave men and women who wear the badge
Poet Michael Marks pens a moving tribute to the men and women of law enforcement
In honor of National Police Week, a veteran officer writes about the challenges facing LEOs today
A veteran officer shares the memories of calls that stay with cops for the rest of their lives
It is the one sound you hear from the first day on the job to the last day of your police career – and beyond
This poem recognizes those lone cops who do the lion’s share of life-saving DWI enforcement at every agency
There are many chapters to a cop’s career that add up to a lifetime of service
A police badge is deeply symbolic and should always be honored by those who carry its weight
Many officers’ dreams play out the dangerous situations they face on every call
The public demands understanding, compassion and respect from officers – cops just want that in return
An LEO’s fiance pens a message to the public about the officer she cherishes whose heart also belongs to the citizens he serves
‘Our deputies work with pride and with skill, so that we, safe at home, can enjoy some goodwill’
For many police officers, it is a daily struggle not to bring the things they deal with at work into their home life
Poem addresses the moment when people understand the root dangers inherent in nature and their perception of police changes in an instant
