Police Officer Interview

Based on your experience, what level of education do you think police applicants should be required to possess?

Officer Clark: Well when I started this job, I only had a high school diploma, and was still going for my Associate’s degree. My dad had told me that I would probably take the test and get tired nearly a year later, maybe more. Therefore, I figured I would get the education while waiting to be accepted. Two months after my test I got my results along with a letter telling me I could come in for the interview the next week and possible move on to the academy after that. I got my degree in school after two years of getting a street education. Book smarts is something, but all the degrees in the world is not going to help you when the bullets start flying.

Officer Bryant: Education to me keeps you fresh and puts you one level higher than that criminal you are after. I think at least an Associate’s degree should be required and that is in Criminal Justice, not general studies or something.

What is your view of female police officers?

Officer Clark: My view is simple, if you can do the job, I do not care what your gender is. I have seen women take down people bigger than them and I have seen women talk to people who will not even talk to me. My sister in fact is a police officer in Boston and that girl could probably beat me up and I’m a hundred pounds heavier than she is, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in that fighting spirit of hers.

Officer Bryant: That is a tricky question. In one way, I think women can do anything an man can do, but on the other hand I have seen the ugliest parts of having women as police officers. You would think we would all support each other, but in some cases, it is like high school all over again and we fight each other for position. In addition, there are women who are so focused on appearance that they do not want to chip a nail, yet they join the police department, that will drive you crazy.

What is your view of the relationship between police departments and the media?

Officer Clark: At times media can be one of best assets as far as informing the community of a danger or putting the word out on a suspect we are looking for. Other times, we are the enemy it seems and they do everything possible to make our department appear corrupt, uncooperative or dishonest. Wish they would pick a side and stick with it.

Officer Bryant: There is only one local news station I watch (Fox 10) and that is only because they have the respect to ask us for an interview and we have an officer who goes on camera two to six times a week to do a brief interview with this station. When a news station does a report that negative toward us, that turns the community against us and then they want to wonder why we have a thin blue line and protect our own.

Does your department participate in any form of community policing?

Officer Clark: Yes we do, in fact we have several ways in which we do community policing, on and off-duty. As a department, we have a crime prevention unit that handles most of the community policing issues and as individuals, about one-third of our department, if not more, volunteers our time to community outreach programs.

Officer Bryant: We do participate in community policing. Not only have we stepped up patrols, but we also volunteer with boys and girls groups. Several officer in our department do into schools and talk with children, that is a program that I personally am apart of. If we can get these kids to trust us now, they will trust us in the future when they need to.

During these interviews, it was interesting to see the differences between Officers Clark and Bryant. In several answers, they were similar, but Clark had more experience and it showed in his answers, whereas Bryant is still relatively new and still sounds excited by the job. Clark still loves his job, but he is more numb to the things he faces everyday.

I learned a great deal from these two officers and enjoyed a ride-a-long with Officer Bryant, in which I got to experience the job while doing the interview. Both officers were very nice and open. They also told me that it was extremely important to leave the job at work and not take it home. Officer Clark said he had seen many officers burn out in less than a year because they took the work home with them.