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Officers' spouses' emotional plea to public: ‘Whatever happens to them, happens to us'

Trying to ignore negative messages about law enforcement is a daily battle for spouses of officers.
Channel 9 sat down Monday with two wives in Brevard County who want the public to know their husbands are committed to protecting the community, and have families they want to come home to each night.
Crystal Behringer started a group on social media to help spouses cope with the fears that she said have become more serious than ever. 
Behringer and Tina Gay said they rely heavily on their faith.
"As soon as he walks out the door, I say an extra prayer," said Behringer. "Whatever happens to them, happens to us."
"You really don't know if they're going to come back," said Gay.

Raw: Officers' spouses' plea to public: 'Whatever happens to them, happens to us'

 

That thought lingers in their minds after every goodbye.
"You don't let them leave angry. You don't let them go to work after a fight, without saying 'I love you.' You always try to make sure that's the last thing you say," Gay said.
Tina's husband works for the Cocoa Police Department.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — "There's a lot of anger. I actually have had people close to me that I was amazed that have not be respectful and have said things that are very disheartening," said Gay.

 Behringer's husband is a sergeant at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

"I was feeling like I was alone. OK, as a wife. A blue wife. So I wanted to reach out to other wives. So I started Brevard County Blue Wives," said Behringer.

The group gives them a place to share experiences, an outlet to vent, and an understanding of what life is like at their homes.

"I think in the beginning, I thought my husband was the only one who couldn't turn it off, and being in the group now you kind of understand that we're all kind of living the same life," said Gay.

After two separate attacks on officers, their fears have intensified.
"You try to have faith that it's going to change and not continue to get worse, but we just keep seeing it get worse," said Gay.
Tensions continue to divide the country into polarized sides: those who support law enforcement and those who are against it.
"Our husbands do not walk out that door every day to be mean to someone, to be racist, to pull the trigger on someone. That is not his goal,"  Behringer said.
With little pay incentive, the women said their husbands go to work each day with only one intention: to protect the communities they serve.

"We have discouraged our son from becoming a police officer, and I think, if we were honest, a lot of the families are feeling that way. What are we going to do 10 years, 20 years from now if there's no law enforcement to keep our communities safe?” said Gay.

The wives said they want members of the community to see the sacrifices officers make, not just for them, but for the families who call them dad, sister or husband, and who need them to come home.
"Those of you that are out there that care about what's going on, please just say an extra prayer for them. Pray for them. Pray for their safety, for their protection,"  Behringer said.

Cox Media Group

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