--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The people, they don't know what it takes…" description: "\"“The people, they don't know what it takes sometimes to keep them safe and it's better that they don't.”\" — Don Winslow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/don-winslow-3586_cops_the-people-they-don-t-know-what-it-takes_2182445.png" --- # The people, they don't know what it takes sometimes to… ![“The people, they don't know what it takes sometimes to keep them safe and it's better that they don't.” quote by Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/don-winslow-3586_cops_the-people-they-don-t-know-what-it-takes_2182445.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/don-winslow-3586_cops_the-people-they-don-t-know-what-it-takes_2182445.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/don-winslow-3586_cops_the-people-they-don-t-know-what-it-takes_2182445.png) > ““The people, they don't know what it takes sometimes to keep them safe and it's better that they don't.”” [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are often kept unaware of the sacrifices made for their safety, and sometimes it's considered better they remain uninformed. **In simple terms:** Authorities may hide risks to protect people. Key Takeaway Question the balance between transparency and security. Themes secrecy protection trust information control Mood critical serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - government policy - media - public health - crisis management Key Concepts political ethics public safety Questions to Reflect On - Should citizens know the true costs of safety? - When is secrecy justified? A Different Perspective May justify paternalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cops/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) ## Related quotes > [Life is never guaranteed to be safe, so we better use it while we are still in good condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/life-is-never-guaranteed-to-be-safe-so-we-better-use-it-while-we-are/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Safe is better than sorry!!!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/funny-mami/safe-is-better-than-sorry/) Funny Mami > [American cops are the ones who are in the emergency rooms. They're the ones who go to the morgues. They're the ones who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/american-cops-are-the-ones-who-are-in-the-emergency-rooms-they-re-the/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [“The suits love their numbers, Malone thinks. 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I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Everyone wants to be part of the 99%, even the cops are like, "No, no, man. I'm part of the 99% too." No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/everyone-wants-to-be-part-of-the-99-even-the-cops-are-like-no-no-man/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) ## More by Don Winslow > [There are various kinds of savagery: emotional, spiritual, economic, and cultural savagery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/there-are-various-kinds-of-savagery-emotional-spiritual-economic-and/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [“We proclaimed the freedom of the individual, bought and drove millions of cars to prove it, built more roads for the cars to drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/we-proclaimed-the-freedom-of-the-individual-bought-and-drove-millions/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [We need to do something about gun violence in America. But every time one of these things happen, we say the same thing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/we-need-to-do-something-about-gun-violence-in-america-but-every-time/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [And the most dangerous place on earth - Is where you’re safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/and-the-most-dangerous-place-on-earth-is-where-you-re-safe/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [So I thought I should write five pages a day. And that's what I did. Eventually I had a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/so-i-thought-i-should-write-five-pages-a-day-and-that-s-what-i-did/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [I used to joke that my next book would be about puppies that have lost a chew toy, and everywhere they went, people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/i-used-to-joke-that-my-next-book-would-be-about-puppies-that-have/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [I was a safari guide in the 1980s in Kenya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/i-was-a-safari-guide-in-the-1980s-in-kenya/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [Bookstores never seem to know where to put me on the shelves. But I do. 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If you were in Little Italy, in East Harlem, in Brooklyn...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/i-lived-in-mafia-neighborhoods-off-and-on-when-i-was-a-kid-if-you/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [“Hell isn't having no choice. It's having to make a choice between horrific things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/hell-isn-t-having-no-choice-it-s-having-to-make-a-choice-between/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [Producing words isn't a problem for me. And I usually write two books at a time. When one horse gets winded, you jump on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/producing-words-isn-t-a-problem-for-me-and-i-usually-write-two-books/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [I think people will be surprised at some of the things about the shootings by policemen of unarmed African-American men. But I also think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/i-think-people-will-be-surprised-at-some-of-the-things-about-the/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [“There are the gods of place and the gods of commerce, and if you have to bet who’s going to win out, put your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/there-are-the-gods-of-place-and-the-gods-of-commerce-and-if-you-have/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) [Explore all 125 Don Winslow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) ## More Cops quotes > [“Cops aren't really your friends, they are trying to be your friends but they are not… - They are searching evidence to PIN YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/cops-aren-t-really-your-friends-they-are-trying-to-be-your-friends/) Deyth Banger > [Everyone wants to be part of the 99%, even the cops are like, "No, no, man. I'm part of the 99% too." 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I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [I can't understand why culture cops try and impose their brand of morality on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/i-can-t-understand-why-culture-cops-try-and-impose-their-brand-of/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I remember my first run-in with cops. It took me really getting to hang, well after that, with cops who were cool, and realizing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/i-remember-my-first-run-in-with-cops-it-took-me-really-getting-to/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [“I was standing by the car when two police officers showed up in the alley, very interested in me and the BMW in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/i-was-standing-by-the-car-when-two-police-officers-showed-up-in-the/) [Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/) > [I've definitely run from the cops in the New York City subways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/i-ve-definitely-run-from-the-cops-in-the-new-york-city-subways/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [“Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they cut your wiener,” Gavin sang as he pointed his gun at random…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-sivec/bad-boys-bad-boys-whatcha-gonna-do-watcha-gonna-do-when-they-cut-your/) [Tara Sivec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-sivec/) > [The BET definition of a humanitarian is someone who perpetuates a war on cops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/the-bet-definition-of-a-humanitarian-is-someone-who-perpetuates-a-war/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [Where are the cops when you need them? (Nick) Probably eating beignets. As the old saying goes, when seconds count, the police are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/where-are-the-cops-when-you-need-them-nick-probably-eating-beignets/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [There's one overriding issue, namely, that we live in a police state so long as the police get to police themselves. And that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/there-s-one-overriding-issue-namely-that-we-live-in-a-police-state-so/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I'm the black sheep in a family of cops. 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