While Bradford enjoyed the much deserved Labor Day holiday, the officers at the Bradford City Police Department were hard at work throughout the day.
Officer Matt Gustin explained that while police officers do have scheduled days off, “There are no true days off for us.”
According to Gustin, police officers have a call-in system, which means an officer can be called in at any hour on any day to assist other officers — whether it’s their day off or not.
“A lot of people don’t realize the kind of time we sacrifice,” Gustin said. “We can miss big events in our lives. A kid’s first steps, football games and family get togethers on holidays. It’s tough, but it’s necessary.”
With that in mind, Gustin has gotten used to working on any day of the year. To him and other officers, holidays are just another day to protect and serve, which many in Bradford are thankful for.
“It makes me feel safer,” said Christina Fitzpatrick of Bradford. “They do so much for us. Sometimes you wish they could get holidays off. They deserve it.”
While it would be nice to have holidays off, Gustin said he wouldn’t want it them anyway. He mentioned that he would rather not miss a call to action, especially in a scenario that is time sensitive.
“As an officer, it’s ingrained in me to act on calls,” he said. “I couldn’t even imagine getting a call and saying ‘Sorry, it’s my day off.’ It sounds crazy just thinking it,” he said.
It seems safe to say that the people of Bradford were able to rest easy on their Labor Day holiday knowing that — in any case and at any time — the Bradford City Police Department is always a call away.
