Westport's police chief and a police chaplain say they are deeply affected by the attack in Dallas and the police-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. 

Police say they have to enforce the law and protect the public -- all while watching their backs because they've become potential targets.

They say there's a certain bond members of law enforcement have, and that they say they understand what officers in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Falcon Heights, Minnesota are facing. 

Police Chaplain John Revell, who also works with other local departments, says despite the recent violence, he'd like to remind people that the majority of officers took on their careers with the intention of saving lives -- not hurting or killing people. 

"I know officers who've had to pull the trigger to take someone's life," Revell says. "It is a traumatic experience in the deepest sense of the word."

Police tell News 12 that officers and communities need to work together to come up with a solution to end the violence.