NO WAY TO EASE THE PAIN

When Officers Pay the Ultimate Price, It's Line of Duty, But

Police officers, particularly RCMP, are a unique breed. Recognized as
among the very best police forces in the world, its history is proud
and storied.

If you talk to an RCMP officer about what it means to serve with the
force, one immediately senses unmistakable pride, and a sense of duty:
They know they've been entrusted with an almost-sacred task and they
approach their job that way each and every day.

They believe they can make the world a better, safer and more secure
place.

Spouses and family members of officers know that one day they might
get the call or door knock that they fear most. Ask any local
officer's spouse the question and most will say they try not to think
about it, but it's always there, off in the recesses of the mind.

Unfortunately, Thursday was a day when so many of these fears were
realized and avoiding the worst-case scenario was not far off in the
mind, but rather tragically in the here-and-now.

Four officers - three from Mayerthorpe and one from Whitecourt -
died when they stormed a marijuana grow op near Rochfort Bridge.
Ambushed by a lone gunman, the suspect then turned the gun on himself.

It's hard for us to comprehend the depths of this tragic event. We
can't know or understand what might have been going through the mind
of the shooter. We also cringe at the thoughts of the last violent
moments of the officers' lives. And we pray for the officers that came
after, discovering the carnage.

Police everywhere will wear a brave and solemn face in the wake of
this tragedy. The forces and the family members involved will mourn in
their own way while publicly they will repeat their vows of duty and
talk about how events such as these are always the danger of their
chosen profession.

It doesn't make it any easier, in fact, in some ways it makes it more
difficult to find closure, especially in such a senseless scenario as
this one.

We often take our police officers for granted.

So many officers play a major role in the well-being of community -
both in and out of uniform.

We depend on them to keep our community safe and we turn to them when
we need help and protection.

We owe them a debt of gratitude each and every day.

And on this day, we mourn with them.