I can still see the gun being pointed at my chest and hear the sound of the trigger clicking as he pulled it.

I’d made a traffic stop, and for whatever reason the driver of the stolen car decided he’d rather try to kill me than take responsibility for his actions.

Time froze for a half-second, the suspect’s gun jammed and I returned fire, leaving a bullet in the side of the stolen vehicle. He had been leaning out of the driver’s side door, but he quickly put the car in gear and sped away with a passenger in tow. I gave chase and eventually lost them after they bailed on a dead end and fled on foot.

It was 1989 and I’d only been on solo patrol for two weeks.

Welcome to the job.

Now I’m retiring. Friday, Feb. 1 is my last day working for the Saint Paul Police Department, and a lot has changed since Chief McCutcheon pinned that first badge on my uniform.

Back then I was one of 17 women on the police force. There had never been a female homicide investigator. The internet and smartphones were Jetsons-like pipe dreams. We patrol officers toiled day after day without worry that a mistake or misspoken word would wind up being broadcast around the world without context.

We worked hard, felt the warmth and comfort of widespread community support and knew in our hearts that we were making a difference. We were allowed to be human.

Today, the actions of our officers are under constant scrutiny. Some people fancy themselves citizen journalists, filming everything from routine traffic stops to cops simply walking the beat. They’re lying in wait, Puma-like purveyors of conflict and controversy, looking for ways to create a nationwide crisis and advance their agendas.

Thankfully, they’re only a small segment of the people we serve.

After 30 years serving the City of Saint Paul, I have learned some truths that need to be shared:

Most people support their police officers.

Women can (and should) pursue careers in law enforcement.

People are good (including your cops).

Contrary to what social media might lead you to believe, we’re not out there wreaking havoc on society. We don’t shoot indiscriminately and we don’t ever want to be put in the position where we have to hurt anyone. We’re out there to help, a fact that most understand and appreciate. In fact, people in Saint Paul love their cops — and their cops love them back.

Calls for service have been increasing year after year. When it hits the fan, people call us because we’ve been helping them for more than 100 years.

But this isn’t your great-grandfather’s police department.

Like most of society, we’ve grown and evolved. We’re more diverse than ever. Our officers better reflect our community than we did 10, 15 and 25 years ago. Women have never played a more important role in our department.

This I know because I had the good fortune to become the first female homicide investigator. I also had the honor of serving as the first female police chief in the history of the department. Today, you can be anything you want to be with the SPPD, regardless of how big, brawny and bold you may or may not be.

After all, 90 percent of the job is about communication, compassion and providing clarity when things get confusing out there on the streets.

And they do get confusing.

Yes, there are some people living among us who rob, steal, assault, damage and destroy. They would be the people who don’t have respect for others, their property or their safety. Thankfully, there really aren’t that many of them.

After 30 years on the job, I’ve only had to discharge my firearm once, during that call when a person tried to kill me. Since then I’ve been involved in pursuits, undercover narcotics stings, homicide investigations, helping abused spouses get to safety, run-of-the-mill traffic stops and fist fights.

Like the officers we currently have on the streets, I’ve seen people do things to others that would make the average person’s head hurt and heart ache, things I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t laid witness to them. I’ve worked the streets after my friends and colleagues were killed. I’ve been called terrible names by people who don’t know me, had people try to goad me into physical or verbal altercations and had people spit on me.

But I still came back — just like our officers do today — because I believed I was making a positive difference in my community and I knew that people are good, but sometimes there are some who make poor decisions.

We do our job to protect people, all people. The respect Saint Paul officers show everyone they serve is awesome.

Oh … there’s one more thing I’ve learned during my three decades of working to keep you safe that I’d like to share: Saint Paul has the best police officers on the planet.

Right now, as you read this, they’re out on the streets taking calls, helping people and trying to make your city a better place for everyone. They’re expected to be peacekeepers, mediators, counselors, confidants and whatever else the situation calls for. Related Articles Caryn Sullivan: ‘9 Secrets to Thriving’ arrived at the right moment in this year of adversity

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They have one of the most difficult jobs in the world, and they keep showing up — for you.

I had the privilege of doing the same thing during my career. And it was an honor serving you, Saint Paul. Thank you for the memories and thank you for supporting your police officers.

Assistant Police Chief Kathy Wuorinen retires today after 30 years with the St. Paul Police Department.