Bill Westenberger

Do We Really Get Away With It?

BY BILL WESTENBERGER

“Character is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching” is a very popular quote, known by many. Unfortunately, recent times have showcased many in society making decisions based on their ability to conceal their actions successfully. We see this occurring with family, colleagues, and certainly in the news with people in high-profile positions.

The most troubling thing is that honest and ethical decisions and actions are becoming more the exception than the norm. It’s all around us every day, and, for many, there are few places to find the comfort of honesty and integrity. Throughout my law enforcement career, I’ve seen it most predominantly in infractions of the law. In the past three years, it seems to be more frequent than ever that people base their decisions on whether to commit criminal violations on their risk of getting caught. Historically, it has been a smaller portion of society that misbehaved, but now we are seeing it frequently with who traditionally have been regarded as law abiding citizens.

Most commonly, we see a great deal of poor judgment in recreational use of drugs and careless or aggressive driving habits. In a safe and quiet community, our officers are seeing the evidence of these actions on a daily basis — unfortunately, through tragedy and loss of life.

I recognize that this is not a comfortable topic, and that many are challenged in dealing with their demons. I don’t come from a place of judgment or a political stance. Simply put, I care. I hate seeing the tragedies and the loss of loved ones by families. My heart goes out to those with shattered dreams from poor choices.

The personal decisions and judgments we make really do have consequences. The question is where we want to land on the backside of our choices. Legislators generally make their decisions on criminal law in a way to protect their constituents. They are grounded in the best interest of our community, to mitigate the risk of death, injury or loss. The laws exist for a reason. Law enforcement officials do what they can to enforce in a way to protect, not be heavy-handed.

If you choose to violate the law and get caught, it can result in loss of freedom and finances, which can create a major impact on your job and lifestyle. My plea is that you consider your choices, not just from a place of whether you might get caught, but pause and view things through the lens of selfpreservation. If that’s not enough, consider your family and loved ones. Consider others that share your community.

So, do we really get away with it? The answer is no. Our choices make us who we are. We can make better choices, and have great success with family, job, friends and lifestyle. Otherwise, we are positioned to have terrible tragedies, losses and setbacks. It all comes around in the end.

We choose our paths. I know we are not perfect, and we all make mistakes daily. I simply ask that we challenge ourselves to pause and think before doing things that we know aren’t right; we could harm ourselves, or someone else. Life is tough enough; let’s not add to the struggle.

Until next time … stay safe.

“Our choices make us who we are. We can make better choices, and have great success with family, job, friends and lifestyle. "

Bill Westenberger has served as chief since 2008. He was given the 2019 Kennesaw Citizen of the Year Award.