Ryan Fleming – On the Beat
Last week, our policing family was shaken when a colleague of ours was shot in the line of duty. It began for me as a normal day.
Ryan Fleming
As I was leaving for work my group chat on my phone started going off with messages and rumours of a police shooting. I arrived at work and my worst fears were confirmed when I saw the ashen faces of my colleagues in the muster room.
In moments like this, the weight of what we do is felt more deeply than usual. The uniform doesn’t make us bulletproof, nor does it set us apart from the people we serve. We are ordinary men and women, mums and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. We put on the uniform and do our best to make our communities safer, but at the end of the day we go home to the same worries, hopes, and families as everyone else.
What has struck me most in the days since is the way the thin blue line family has rallied around one another. From the moment the news broke, colleagues have stepped in to support shifts, cover calls, and simply check in on each other. There’s an unspoken bond that comes from knowing your workmates will run toward gunfire for you — and you for them. That bond has carried many of us through a very difficult week.
But it hasn’t just been our policing family. The messages, calls, and kind words from the public have meant more than you can know. To everyone who took the time to reach out — whether with a handshake, a message online, or even just a nod in the street — thank you. Your support has been a reminder that behind the headlines and flashing lights, we are part of the same community. We live here, raise our kids here, and care about this place just as much as you do.
It’s easy to think of the “thin blue line” as a barrier that separates us from the public. But really, it’s a thread that connects us. We rely on each other, but we also lean on the people we serve. The line is not made of steel — it’s made of people. Ordinary people, standing together in extraordinary circumstances.
To my fellow officers: keep looking out for each other. And to the wider community: thank you for reminding us that we’re not alone. In times like this, that reminder makes all the difference.
I was fortunate to receive thankyou cards from the year 5 and 6 students at Te Awamutu Primary School for attending school camp. Those cards were a welcome relief to end a very tough week.
Ryan Fleming at Fieldays 2023
