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by Vince Castellanos '92
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"I'm on the SWAT negotiations team, and I think all the time about the interview skills I learned at Mac," says Kelly Karinen '96, a police officer in Lakewood, Colo.
MICHAEL RICHMOND |
Kelly Karinen '96, police officer and SWAT team member, Lakewood, Colo.
Why law enforcement?
I got into it watching "Scooby-Doo" as a kid. I read Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, all of that. It seemed like a really fun mind game. I was an anthropology/Japanese studies major at Mac. I loved anthro because I'm interested in how people are put together differently and thought I'd go into academics. I was starting my master's thesis in forensic anthropology when I decided that being in a lab wasn't for me. I wanted to work at a community level instead.
What are your duties?
On patrol we answer in-progress calls and do community policing--we make business and neighborhood contacts, and those help us be proactive. We figure out where problems will occur and try to solve them before they happen. I also work with youth and head a program called Police Explorers. The kids train, go on ride-alongs and compete against other chapters. I'm a proud mom of this--we just won eight trophies at a tactical competition. I love working with those kids. Police work can get you down because you encounter so much that's negative, but seeing their level of enthusiasm is great.
One of the awful statistics is that policewomen have a 97 percent divorce rate. You don't want to bring work home, but your partner wants to know what's bothering you.
--Kelly Karinen '96 |
How do you deal with the dangers?
You think about it, but you can't think about it. We're on all the time, 24-7. Firefighters have a higher mortality rate, but I'm a moving target. You never know what might happen. I've only used my gun at the range, thank God, but I did have a gun held on me once. He was just some dope, but it's not a good feeling.
You're married with a 3-year-old. How do you balance work and family life?
It's not easy. One of the awful statistics is that policewomen have a 97 percent divorce rate. You don't want to bring work home, but your partner wants to know what's bothering you.
What's the worst crime you face?
Children are the only absolute victims. Some people make bad choices, but kids have no choice. You know it's a bad situation when you see 6-year-olds smoking joints. We bust meth labs all the time where we're pulling kids out of danger. I'd feel better about that if I could take them all and raise them myself, but most of the time they're returning to that environment or bouncing from one foster home to another.
Do male and female officers face the same challenges?
In general women have to shoot better, drive better and work harder because you have to prove yourself. The biggest critics are other female officers. They told me, "You're not just representing yourself, but your gender, too."
How did Macalester prepare you?
Those ethnographies [studies of a subculture involving exhaustive interviews] with Professor [David] McCurdy were a tremendous help; they taught me how to talk to people and ask the right questions. I'm on the SWAT negotiations team, and I think all the time about the interview skills I learned at Mac.
What's the best part of the job?
People don't do this because it's just a job. There's no amount of money that can be worth the danger. I do it for other people because I'm personally interested; it's not just about guns and tasers. I chose to work on a local level so I could have a greater impact.
I have the greatest job in the world. There's not a day I don't love it, not a day I'm not excited to do it. It's great if I can make a difference in a small way, and that's always my goal. •
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