Many Law Enforcement Careers
He didn’t plan a career in law enforcement until randomly assigned by the Army. This experience led him to appreciate that serving others and your country would be both honorable and interesting. Motivated to perform to the highest standards on a daily basis led to career satisfaction.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
AB is the middle of three children. AB’s father was a quiet man, whose job was delivering coal and later oil on behalf of his father’s business, in which he eventually became a part owner. AB’s mother was a schoolteacher.
Neither parent provided any specific, long-term career guidance for AB. His mother’s only advice was: “Be a good student.” His father’s advice: “Stay out of trouble. Get a job and you’ll be fine.”
CHILDHOOD THOUGHTS OF AN ADULT CAREER
At the time and place when AB was growing from teenager to young adult, it was common knowledge that if you weren’t headed to college or military service, your dream employer would be one of the area’s largest, nationally well-established employers: Scott Paper, Sun Oil or Sinclair Oil. However, it seemed that to be hired, you needed to be sponsored by a relative or family friend already so employed. AB had no such sponsor available so his father then suggested that AB stay out of trouble by volunteering at the local fire company, which he did.
MILITARY SERVICE – A RANDOM ASSIGNMENT LEADS TO AN EVENTUAL CAREER
At the time AB was approaching his 18th birthday, he (and every other 18-year-old male) would be required to register for the military draft. Several friends, including AB, decided to enlist earlier than their projected schedule to be inducted into the Army, to thereby undergo basic training in the Fall rather than in the harsh Winter months.
Following basic Army training and for no apparent military reason, AB was assigned the Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) classification for Military Police (MP). His two friends were also randomly assigned, one to the Artillery and the other to the Infantry. So, they were headed to war in Vietnam while AB ‘lucked out’ with an initial stateside assignment in San Francisco.
(Editor’s note: For an excellent, fictionalized account of a former MP living in the civilian world, happening upon difficult situations he resolves with his MP experience, check Lee Child’s books’ series involving “Jack Reacher” – start with the first book, ‘Killing Floor’)
As a result of his MP training and service as an MP, AB developed respect for personally staying on the proper side of the law forever after. And he was honored to be part of the law enforcement brother and sisterhood. However, AB wondered if he would be better serving his country in a war zone, than dealing with draft protesters who weren’t putting their lives at risk in a combat zone overseas.
PATRIOTIC DECISIONS CAN HAVE MULTIPLE MOTIVATIONS
While AB took pride in performing his military police duties to the best of his ability and judgment, he decided to join his Army friends in Vietnam (if not in the same unit, at least in the same war zone), fully understanding that he would be risking his life in the service of his country. The concurrent factor which most highly motivated AB to volunteer for combat was to make his father proud of him.
Dad was indeed proud of AB. Mom, not so much – she worried he would be severely injured or worse.
MILITARY SERVICE IN A WAR ZONE
Asking the Army for a transfer to a combat zone does not automatically mean the soldier will be assigned to the front lines of the war. To AB’s disappointment upon arriving in Vietnam, instead of being given a jeep and a rifle with directions to find friendly infantry on the front lines, he was given a new set of MP boots for his job to provide security on the rear flanks.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE LEADS TO A CIVILIAN CAREER
When AB’s enlistment term expired and he received his Honorable Discharge, he pondered career options as a civilian and decided he liked being involved in law enforcement so he would pursue employment with one of his home area, local police departments.
LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT
(Editor’s note – Men and women interested in becoming ‘local’ (borough or township) police officers, first apply to their local police department. If the department has an opening and agrees to employ the applicant, that individual is hired and must attend and graduate from a nearby ‘Police Academy”, typically a 6 month program to learn how to interact with the public, patrolling (mostly dealing with traffic situations during the day but especially mindful of criminal activities in the dark hours), use of firearms, motor vehicle code, crimes code, witness interviewing, arrest procedures and report writing; physical fitness and neat personal appearance are emphasized.)
AB’s first job within civilian law enforcement was to serve as a police officer within a relatively small, suburban municipality. Already experienced with patrolling, first aid and proper use of firearms, the transition from military to civilian policing was not difficult. AB’s policing jurisdiction was not a ‘high crime’ area, but he was involved in his share of issuing traffic citations and assisting with investigations involving such criminal activities as burglaries, robberies, sexual and domestic violence plus illegal drugs possession and distribution.
Apparently, AB’s dedicated police work caught the attention of law enforcement leadership, which led to a job offer to AB to transition from police officer to detective. AB had not previously considered leaving front-line police work to be a detective, but investigative work seemed interesting, so he accepted the offer, assuming he could return to basic police work if that remained his preference.
DETECTIVE
(Editor’s note – Police officers are eligible for promotion to ‘Detective’ after 5 years of police experience. Typical training lasts several weeks, including interview techniques, cultivating an informant (through honorable, public safety motivation or to avoid or reduce jail time), fingerprinting, tire tracks analysis and referring sophisticated analysis – DNA and crime scene investigation – to specialists.)
Initially and for the next several years, most of AB’s responsibilities were to take over investigation of burglaries, robberies, and bank fraud. Thereafter, for the next decade, AB took over supervision of the narcotics unit. Once every four weeks, this involved overnight duty, often involving homicides, sex crimes and narcotics. AB would commence the investigation while the crime scene was still fresh and then in the morning, transfer the investigation to the relevant day unit detectives.
While serving as a detective, AB was often working with – or at least observing – State Police and FBI agents undertaking their respective tasks. AB tried to learn as much as he could while watching and assisting if called upon.
JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE
Immediately following the foreign terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the federal government created joint task forces across the country, involving local police, detectives, and the FBI, with the goals of preventing terrorism by investigating threats and of course capturing anyone who had committed acts of terrorism.
Following the same rationale for promoting personnel who had exemplary records of service at one level to serve at a higher level (which also occurs in the civilian business world), AB’s record as a dedicated and successful detective, led to his promotion to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he, along with the others on the task force, investigated every real threat (10%, all still ‘classified’) and the other 90%: nervous, panicked, ultimately unprovable concerns, typically about neighbors of foreign descent, who spoke a strange language and kept their window shades down.
AB was involved in some arrests, which were then prosecuted by the FBI. After many years with these responsibilities, AB fully retired from law enforcement.
LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIZATION
‘Back in the day’ detectives were involved in all aspects of investigating criminal activity. But, as science has progressed, so has specialization (just like medical doctors, whose ranks used to be divided among family doctors and surgeons; one of the first medical specialties was EENT, ‘eye, ear, nose and throat’, which is now compartmentalized into specialties for each one of those body parts. Likewise for law enforcement.
Currently, most police departments include – or are able to access locally – crime scene investigators, blood analysts, fingerprint specialists, geneticists, electronic communication experts and the like.
CAREER CHALLENGE – INTER AGENCY COMPETITION
Humans being human and law enforcement personnel being motivated to promote public safety by removing ‘bad actors’ from the streets, it is understandable that some law enforcers aspire to the recognition of being the first to solve the crime, thereby failing to cooperate at all or on a timely basis. This is no different conduct than occurs daily in science labs, law firms, the political arena and among real estate salespersons in the same office.
An experienced law enforcement professional learns to realize when there is a lack of full and prompt cooperation and how to work around the personnel in the way. Fortunately, such misconduct is rare but needs to be noted here as a challenge to recognize and push through.
CAREER SATISFACTION FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL’S YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Worked hard to learn the basic skills of law enforcement, which he combined with creative thinking and judgment, resulting in several promotions which enabled him to engage in more interesting and challenging assignments
- Continued his education by earning an Associate’s degree at a branch of the well-regarded state university
- When in leadership, he led by example, accepting all assignments and carrying them out to the best of his ability
- Always faithful to the creed of law enforcement – use force only to the extent necessary for safety and self-defense, never as advance punishment
- Appointed to attend the (prestigious) FBI’s National Police Academy – a several month program made available to only ½ of 1% of law enforcement officers nationwide; the FBI program is accredited by the University of Virginia (often the top-ranked school among all 50 state universities)
- Glad to assist training of young law enforcement officers and help them mature as law enforcement professionals
- Investigated and arrested a notorious murderer by following up a lead after the tipster had been disregarded by another law enforcement agency. The individual was convicted.
- Made his parents proud, even more so when he could follow his father’s motto that the most satisfying time to help someone is when they can’t possibly pay you back
EPILOGUE
Now with zero stress and threats to his personal safety, AB enforces rules of common sense and civility as a ‘Starter’ (managing starting tee times for the golfers) within the world of amateur, civilian golf courses.
