"As a mom, I tend to compartmentalize; and when I'm at work, my kids are not in my head. I cannot think about where they are, what they're doing, or how their day is going. I have to be focused on being able to be home for them when my shift is over. I need to be able to go home at night. We say it all the time. At the beginning of the shift, we do our little briefing and the next words out of everybody's mouths are, 'We go home tonight.' " 🗣 Today I speak with another female cop who helps us understand a little more about life as a law enforcement officer in the US today dealing with fight or flight, fear, the defund the police movement, corruption, and being misunderstood. One of the most important topics we cover is the huge influx of individuals with special needs in the community and how that can lead to problems with how officers respond to them during calls or disturbances. She explains the importance of communication and understanding and reveals how this issue hits particularly close to home for her because of her own family members struggling with autism.

*Note: this interview was recorded June, 2020.