The last few years have been a difficult time for law enforcement across the nation.

You’ve seen the headlines – Excessive Force Used by Officer, Officers Targeted in Shootings – the community divides in some areas of the country have become disheartening.

Despite what many see as a scary time for the men and women in blue, Trooper Ben Gardner, Kansas Highway Patrol, said he’s never felt more proud.

“It’s so good to hear a praise or support or thanks from the public, or anybody…yes, there’s difficult things happening across the Nation, what I would also let you know or what I want people to understand is honestly I think today – right now – in law enforcement is the best time to be in law enforcement,” said Gardner.

Trooper Ben, as he’s often referred, said that many officers may even question his thought process when he says it’s the “best time to be in law enforcement”. Gardner said that things were very different in the beginning of his 17 year career with the KHP.

“Not many people would give me a handshake or say the words ‘I’m praying for you’ or ‘I support you’, but I can tell you right now in today’s world that is something that is a consistent theme; I am constantly having people come up to me and thank me and praising me and saying they’re praying for me, and it’s a very different environment now while it might be challenging, and there is a lot of challenging things happening across the Nation, there are a lot of people who want to give us praise and give us support and it’s needed and it’s appreciated,” said Gardner.

Gardner was a guest on the J-C Now Morning Show on 1420 AM – KJCK. The Interview was also live-streamed on Facebook.