I would say this new officer needs to re-evaluate if he’s capable of doing the job he’s required to do, and fast. If you’ve lost faith in his ability to back you up, by all means, you should confront him immediately about it, as your life could very well depend on his backing you up. Some people are just not cut out to do this job. If your first instinct is to hesitate or run the other way when a fight breaks out, your in the wrong profession. We have a saying where I work, ‘If my partners taking an ass beating, then so am I." If someone did leave their partner, they wouldn’t be here very much longer, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Just make sure when you confront him you do so in a professional manner and not in front of the inmates. I for one would refuse to work a post with someone I knew wasn’t going to have my back, buy I have a strong union to back me up on such issues.

You need to question him about his motives. I mean if you’ve lost confidence in his ability to protect you, then by all means screw his fillings about how he’ll take it and talk to him, let him know how you fill and give the reasons. Better that you let him know how you feel so that if he does wimp out in the future, he’ll understand the evil eye you give him.

I’m new to this forum and truthfully very excited to be around like minded people. I’m a correctional officer at a maximum security facility in the southern United States. I have been an co for a little over a year.

I have a question I truly hate to ask. Day in and day out we deal with the worst kind of people. Never would I thought a fellow officer would cause an issue.

So my question is how do you handle it when you lose faith in a fellow officer. When you know he doesn’t have your back. I truly believe he won’t “come in” when the time comes.

He is a newer officer. If you need more details I’ll share but I’m a rather private person so I’ll limit what I say until it’s asked.

It’s just a rough feeling to have.