In a police academy, cadets will learn the X’s and O’s of being an officer. They learn tactics, driving, and everything from critical thinking to community policing.
Bill Holland is the commander of the joint academy operated by the University of Akron and Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The academy trains cadets to become certified peace officers in Ohio, and many of them find jobs in local police departments.
More important than what they learn, is why they’re learning it.
Holland said on the first day of orientation, he opens up with "Why are you here?"
"And what I want to hear them say is ‘I want to make a difference.’ and ‘I want to help people,’" Holland said. "That’s what I’m hoping they say."
The Beacon Journal spoke with numerous cadets to hear why they are seeking a career in law enforcement.
A goal reclaimed
James Riddell, 32, of Wadsworth, has wanted to be a police officer since he was 20. But in college, he took an opportunity to work in health insurance.
In late 2017, his sister died from opiate abuse. After that, his family had a positive moment with law enforcement "they’re never going to forget."
He realized those interactions would be the best chance to positively affect someone.
"My mom answered the door and I have this really vivid memory of the officer being there, and not that the officer had the opportunity to change anything that happened, but their interaction with my family was an incredibly important thing for my family at that time," Riddell said.
Riddell said that moment was part of a wild chain of events that led to law enforcement. Later, a job he thought would be there forever all of a sudden wasn’t. With a wife and two children, Riddell said he could "get another job in health insurance or circle back on this thing that I’ve always wanted to do."
"It’s a really strange time to make this type of change, and they've been nothing but supportive," Riddell said. "We sold her house, downgraded vehicles and moved in with Grandma. I mean, this was a huge commitment to transition to law enforcement."
After making such a huge life change at 32, Riddell said he’s learned that he doesn’t know what’s ahead of him. Because of that, he’s going to take every opportunity that comes his way, whether it be a K-9 unit, a detective spot or another position.
"I'm just going to absorb as much as I can and try to do as many different things as I can — and maybe 10-12 years from now I can answer that question," Riddell said.
Becoming a bridge
Arielle Sweeney, 31, of Akron has a lot of reasons to join law enforcement. A passion about the criminal justice system, a customer-service job that left her unfulfilled, and an unused criminal justice degree from Kent State University.
A turning point was the death of Sandra Bland — a young African American woman who was found dead in a Texas jail three days after being pulled over for a minor traffic violation.
Rather than judge based on emotion, Sweeney wanted to know more. She said that led her toward trying to make a difference, and eventually, law enforcement.
"That particular situation I guess really hit home for me and it got me to start to think about what I can do in the criminal justice field to make a difference," Sweeney said.
A Black woman herself, Sweeney said representation matters. She said she’s the only African American graduating from this cadet class, and that she feels minorities should be more involved in law enforcement and politics.
The Black community, she said, has a lot of complaints about law enforcement. They don’t feel heard or respected. Sweeney said she’s becoming part of the change she wants to see.
"I think it's really important for me to be a representation to my people in particular," Sweeney said. "If you want to see a change, then you have to be an advocate for that and not just stand by on the sidelines."
Sweeney has firsthand knowledge of being Black in America. She said it’s great to learn about the opposite experience — now understanding how officers are trained and how they respond.
With knowledge of both sides, she can share that perspective, and become a bridge between the communities.
But being that bridge comes with difficulties. Sweeney said she’s already mentally prepared for people who won't understand why she joined law enforcement, or even see her as a "traitor."
A lot of people see police as a group of "white racist men," Sweeney said. She said she can be the person who shows them something different.
She said people will question her decision, but the only way to change those mindsets is to be part of the change.
"If no one's willing to do it, if no one's willing to bridge that gap, then it'll never happen," Sweeney said. "So I'm actually coming kind of looking forward to being out in the community and being that positive light."
Once she’s with a department, Sweeney said she wants to work in juvenile diversion. She’s always been passionate about youth, and said officers can make a huge difference in the lives of children.
Guardian mindset
Viktoria Bodnar, 29, of Fairlawn is transitioning to law enforcement after serving in the military.
Even in Afghanistan, she was already a link between her unit and the community.
Bodnar was an Arabic translator, and often relayed information between citizens and soldiers. Because of her role, she was often the face of the unit. She said learning their language put her in the citizens’ domain, and let them know they could trust her.
"I definitely think some of them were surprised, and I think a lot of them appreciated it," Bodnar said.
Bodnar said there are parallels between her role as a translator, and how she’ll connect with the community she policies.
"I made the effort to go talk to them and see what's going on firsthand," Bodnar said. "You put yourself in that situation to understand and see what is going on in your community."
Bodnar was born in Poland. Her family moved to the Akron area when she was young. She said her upbringing provided structure, and her parents always taught her to overcome obstacles.
Bodnar said this line of work isn’t for everyone, explaining that you need to have a guardian’s mentality.
"It's just being able to put other people before yourself, and just having the mentality that you're going to go out and protect the community at any cost, even if the cost is your life," Bodnar said.
Bodnar wants to keep protecting, but with more community interaction than she had in the military. Especially now, Bodnar hopes she can be an example of officers working with their community.
"I just think the world needs to see good cops now more than ever, and I want to be that change for the people to see. Even if I can change just one person a day, just one positive interaction a day, I can change that person's view."
Drawn to interaction
Ethan Webb, 21, of Tallmadge, said many of his family members were hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Ultimately, it drove his desire to help people suffering from addiction.
Webb said it was a tossup between the medical field and law enforcement. A friend who went to the academy helped him to decide.
"That was a time where I started figuring out that possibility in law enforcement," Webb said. "There’d be a lot more tough — but rewarding — face-to-face interactions."
Webb said he spent time helping family members suffering from addiction who had a negative view of police. He said other family members saw officers in a positive light, but also never had many interactions with them.
He said his goal is to have those interactions with everyone in the community, and make each one positive.
"I want to be there to make a difference on a person-to-person basis," Webb said. "That to me is the most rewarding thing is to have positive interactions with people."
When he joins a department, he said he’ll look for more training on helping people with addiction and suffering from mental health issues.
"That’s something I want to look for whenever I get into a department, and something I know they offer more training for that I would definitely take advantage of," Webb said.
Passion for helping
Payton Schafer, 22, of Chester Township in Geauga County, said she always knew she wanted to be in law enforcement.
"I kind of grew up with this strong moral base and was instilled with the desire that if I wanted to see a change in something, I had to stand up and do it instead of just talking about it."
Schafer currently works for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in the corrections department. After she graduates from the academy, she’s hoping to start working on the road.
She said working at the jail has helped her to meet and speak with people from different parts of society with diverse backgrounds.
She said there can never be enough practice when it comes to talking with other people. One area she said officers can never have too much training in is crisis intervention.
"I honestly feel like that kind of decision-making and finding ways to talk things down is the most important part of my job," Schafer said.
Entering the police force at such a tumultuous time, she said people are entitled to have their opinions against law enforcement. She said officers being willing to stand up and make a difference could go a long way.
Schafer said nobody is perfect, and a bad decision doesn’t necessarily make a bad person. But she said accountability is important, and so is passion.
"You can work a lot of jobs without a passion for what you're doing," Schafer said. "I honestly believe to be a good officer, you have to have 100 percent passion for this job."
As long as that passion helps people, Schafer said her career will be worth it.
"I don't know what it will bring, I don't know where it will lead," Schafer said. "But if I can help just one person, I’d say my career, however long it may be, will be a success."
His father’s footsteps
Justin Sanchez, 22, of Akron, grew up watching his dad, a Summit County sheriff’s deputy, practice community policing. He saw his dad run Safety Town, teach car-seat safety and interact with residents at community events.
"That’s kind of what inspired me, because he's the guy that I look up to the most," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said it feels good to be following in his father’s footsteps. As an officer, he said he wants people to feel comfortable around him.
"I want to be that person that people can come up to," Sanchez said. "I want to be that person that they don't have to be afraid to come ask a question. … People put out in the public this poor view, and not everyone's like that."
Sanchez doesn’t know where he’ll end up, but once he lands with a police department, he plans on attending many of those same events his father did.
"You want your community to see that you're involved as much as they are, that you're willing to do extra — you're not doing just your work," Sanchez said.
Building the future
Holland said the academy has been more targeted in its recruiting efforts and offering scholarships to offset the financial burden of the academy.
Often, Holland said they’re finding people who want to make a difference, but don’t know where to do it.
"What I found is there are people that want to serve their community, they just aren't really sure how," Holland said
He said the academy is microcosm of a police department. Cadets will bring in their own life experiences, work ethics, attitudes and need to serve.
Holland said cadets learn from each other, which is why recruiting people from different backgrounds is important.
"If you've had a bad experience with law enforcement, don't turn your back on the police," Holland said. "Join us and make a difference. You can make a difference not only to your community and show them that the police are there to help you but with your fellow officers with your attitude, you can open their eyes to your experiences."
Reach Akron Beacon Journal reporter Sean McDonnell at smcdonnell@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3186.
"want" - Google News
June 28, 2020 at 07:16AM
https://ift.tt/2Zix2jw
Meet today’s police cadets. Here’s why they want to serve - Akron Beacon Journal
"want" - Google News
https://ift.tt/31yeVa2
https://ift.tt/2YsHiXz
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Meet today’s police cadets. Here’s why they want to serve - Akron Beacon Journal"
Post a Comment