While others celebrate, deputies work
Law enforcement officers know what it’s like to miss Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other holidays while keeping others safe.
“It’s difficult not being with your family sometimes,” Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Captain Frank Copeland said. “You want to be with your loved ones, but you can’t be, so you’re doing work.”
Crime and other emergencies don’t take a break for holidays, so deputies and other first responders must remain on alert, too.
Often, officers celebrate holidays a day before or a day later.
“This is our job,” Copeland said. “This is what we signed on to do and we make the best of it.”
“Even though they’re working a holiday, they’re not doing anything differently,” he said. “They’re answering calls and going to places.”
Sometimes, to celebrate the day, people prepare meals for the officers on duty.
Although there’s no more crime than usual on holidays, thefts usually increase during the holiday season, Copeland said.
When people are on vacation, criminals often try to break into their houses. But, this increase isn’t enormous.
The GCSO also receives more calls about lonely people who act in desperation.
“Holiday seasons are bad for some people,” Copeland said. “People without their family members are faced with being alone for the holiday. Sometimes that is very distressing.”
Those looking for someone to talk to can often find comfort by going to local churches or even visiting a restaurant like Waffle House, he said.
Those feeling suicidal can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Despite the difficulty of his work, Copeland remembers some Christmases where he has seen unexpected goodness.
“We’re able to help someone who’s in distress, or who needs help getting from one place to another or are stuck because their car broke down,” he said. “We’re going to do the best we can to help.”