By Abidemi Adebamiwa- Newspot Nigeria Managing Editor
Not long ago, I was walking into a coffee shop wearing a black fleece jacket from a local community program. As I walked in, someone turned to me and said, “Good morning, officer.”
I smiled, corrected him, and we both laughed it off. But his reaction lingered in my mind. Why did he assume I was law enforcement? The jacket clearly had “Citizens Academy” on it, but the mere presence of “Police” in the logo led him to make an instant judgment.
I had received this fleece after participating in a local Citizens Academy — a program that offers residents an inside look at law enforcement practices and public safety. During the sessions, participants engage in ride-alongs, interact with officers, and get to understand the complexities of policing, from dispatch to de-escalation tactics. The aim is transparency, not transformation into law enforcement.
Still, experiences like this raise important questions: How much can symbols, like a jacket, shape our identity, even when we’re not trying to present ourselves in a certain light? And more importantly, how do we navigate the blurred lines between civic engagement and perceived authority?
In today’s climate, where the relationship between the public and law enforcement is under constant scrutiny, a jacket like this can unintentionally send mixed signals. To some, it’s a sign of respect for the police. To others, it may symbolize a much more fraught interaction, laden with tension and mistrust. It’s not about the person wearing the jacket; it’s about the larger system it represents and how that system is experienced by different communities.
But maybe the real issue isn’t the jacket at all — it’s how we sometimes react to symbols without asking questions. A Citizens Academy fleece isn’t a badge of authority; it’s an invitation to understand, engage with, and even hold accountable the systems that shape our daily lives.
Here’s a question worth asking: When was the last time you looked a police officer in the eye — not to accuse or applaud — but just to ask, “How are you really doing?” We often view them as robotic extensions of power or policy, but forget that they are also human beings behind the badge. Some may not get it right, but others carry the weight of public expectation and private stress in silence.
Through this program, I didn’t walk away feeling like law enforcement. I walked away feeling informed. I learned how emergency calls are processed, how officers approach their mental health, and how mistakes are handled. I became a better citizen, not a badge-wearing officer.
And perhaps that’s the real takeaway. The goal isn’t to wear a uniform — it’s to play an active role in a functioning democracy. Citizens are at their best when they step up to learn, question, and engage with public institutions.
So, the next time someone sees me in that fleece and mistakes me for an officer, I’ll simply say:
“I’m not a cop — just a citizen who took the time to learn more about how our community works.”
And that, I believe, is a message more of us could carry proudly.
