New Bedford Police Help Avoid Horrific Ending [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Most police officers are exceptional individuals with a passion to serve their community. You can almost spot the officers I'm talking about, who can be identified by their professionalism, mannerisms, traits and qualities, their guts and bravery, and a deep knowledge of laws.

Their functions include maintaining order and controlling crime, patrolling areas where criminality may occur and responding to robberies, brawls and domestic disturbances, one of the most dangerous, high-risk calls.

In the area of providing social services, the police help people who need emergency assistance, whether it's giving first-aid, helping deliver a baby who can't wait any longer or finding lost children and grandparents.

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A police officer also is sworn to defend and protect the people from criminals and a growing population of unhinged people. Just recently, I saw a film on Prime Video starring Russell Crowe and Caren Pistorius titled Unhinged, the horrific true story of Ed Gein, the butcher of Plainfield, Wisconsin.

I mention this only because there was a recent emergency call to the New Bedford Police Department that a very agitated man inside a liquor store was said to be assaulting a woman who refused to give him money. Next thing she knows, this guy allegedly produces a knife and viscously starts swinging it at her.

When police arrived, they ordered him to drop his weapon, but he ignored their commands and grew increasingly more disturbed and keyed up. A situation like this can go either way.

The trained, accomplished police officers took an unstable and hazardous set of circumstances and, after some time, successfully de-escalated an eruptive situation by convincing the man to drop the knife and place his hands behind his back.

I know cops work for a cause, not applause, but I have to show my appreciation to those officers and all the personnel of the New Bedford Police Department.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.