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by Vince Castellanos '92
It's no secret that many Macalester alumni choose careers in social service. Teaching, nonprofits, law enforcement.... Wait, cops?
You bet. It makes sense, really. Police officers are the ultimate public servants. They put their lives on the line to help society, yet remain underappreciated and even abused by the very people they're charged with protecting. "I've been called every name in the book," says Kelly Karinen '96, an officer in Lakewood, Colo. "When I'm arresting someone and they're screaming at me, I'll tell them, 'Call me something I haven't heard and I'll let you go.' It hasn't happened yet, but I hear them say some pretty awful things."
We'll simply say thanks. Sometimes they hear that, too.
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"I took an oath to protect people with my life, and I can help," says Tulsa, Okla., police officer David Brice '97.
DAVID CROW |
David Brice '97, officer, Special Investigations Division, Vice Unit/SWAT team member, Tulsa, Okla.
Why law enforcement?
It's not necessarily cool to admit you want to be a cop in high school, but it's been in my head since then. My school in Tulsa was surrounded by housing projects, and we'd hear gunshots during football practice. I saw a shooting once--the guy was lying in the street. I grew up in that culture and I've always been fascinated with the criminal mind.
After Mac I worked in the adolescent unit of a psych hospital. Kids were there for anything from being suicidal or schizophrenic to on drugs. It was interesting to me as a psychology major, but it was tough, and I learned I didn't want to be a therapist. That's when I started thinking seriously about the police.
I answered a call and heard bap-bap-bap against the fence I was next to and thought someone was shooting at me. I ran around the corner and there was a kid with a paintball gun.
--David Brice '97
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In addition to the vice unit, you're also part of the SWAT team.
Tulsa's not big enough to have a dedicated SWAT team, so we all have our own jobs and carry pagers. When that goes off, we change into our gear and do our thing. We have special training at least twice a month; I've been to machine gun school and carry an M4, an automatic weapon.
How do you deal with the dangers?
One of the first questions I get is, "Have you shot anyone?" We stress safety and I've received great training, which reduces the risks. Sometimes we have "bad day to be a cop" days, when we're in dangerous situations. But we get paid to come through doors yelling "Tulsa Police!" when someone might shoot at us. It's something you have to accept.
At work I notice everything--the way people talk, their body position, where their hands are. I can be a jerk, but it's better to be a jerk for 30 seconds and ensure everyone goes home safe than to be too soft and have someone get hurt. When I'm not working I'm "Condition White," which means I don't pay attention to what people are doing all the time. But if I leave the house I take a gun. I have the training and ability to intervene, and I'd hate to be in a situation where I could help someone but didn't have the means.
Um, have you shot anyone?
I've not discharged my firearm and hope I never have to. I've been in a couple of fights where I wasn't positive I would come out on top, and that's scary. I answered a call at an apartment building once and heard bap-bap-bap against the fence I was next to and thought someone was shooting at me. I ran around the corner and there was a kid with a paintball gun.
What's the worst crime you face?
Anything involving kids is hard to take. I've served warrants where parents are running drugs and their toddler is stepping on marijuana bags. That environment is a breeding ground for repeating the cycle, and you realize those kids are bound for a tough life.
How did Macalester prepare you for this?
I met people from all over the world, and that gives you a broad outlook. I saw things from other perspectives and now I understand people's points of view. I also learned a lot about problem-solving at Mac, and my psych degree helps a lot.
What's the best part of the job?
I took an oath to protect people with my life, and I can help. I served a warrant where mom was a crackhead and her kid was malnourished and getting beat on, so I got him out of there. I saw him six months later and he was so much healthier and doing well. That's nice, because the job can be hard. You're usually dealing with people on the worst day of their lives. But I've also been thanked by people I'm taking to jail; they know they needed it. And I love what I do. I enjoy it every day.
Your girlfriend of five years, Amanda, is a police dispatcher.
She understands the crazy hours and the stress of the job, but if I'm in a dangerous situation she knows right away. She could be the one taking the call if I'm shouting for back-up.
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