Cops: There But For The Grace Of God …
Posted August 8, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
They put on a brave face, the last line of defence against the bad guys in our society. You rarely think of them as crying or shedding real tears. But many police officers at the funeral for Det. Cst. Robert Plunkett were doing just that Wednesday, as they contemplated the loss both to the force and their family – and the danger their job puts them all in.
“I think everybody sitting in the room realizes that we’ve all had our close calls and it could just as easily be us,” agrees a pensive Constable Randy Leaman of the RCMP. He was one of the estimated 6,000 police officers from around North American who travelled to Newmarket for the solemn service.
After the ceremonies were over came a sight that few will soon forget – a sea of blue marching in lockstep behind the Detective Constable’s casket as it slowly wended its way out of the city and towards its final resting place in Barrie. Many wore the number 446 on their arms – the badge Plunkett so proudly displayed on duty.
All left the scene with a lasting impression of the danger of their chosen profession and how fragile life can be. “It brings your job into reality,” concurs a sombre John Parkinson of Peel Police. “You definitely remember to kiss your wife and kids when you go to work on the next shift.”
