SWAT Officer Enoch B. White's responses

I enjoy the fact that Officer White has hobbies that involve things I enjoy as well such as coaching and traveling. Since he is able to still have these hobbies, I am confident that if I were to pursue a career such as his own, I would be able to pursue my interests as well even in such a demanding field.

In some ways it is comforting that White has held diverse positions such as patrol, narcotics, motorcycle unit, and swat because it ensures that I would be able to experience different modes of law enforcement as well. Since I've always liked change and desire to experience everything possible this field truly seems like it has everything for me.  

I understand where officer White is coming from, however I feel like there should be more done to encourage minorities to pursue careers in law enforcement. Simply recruiting is not enough, there should be more programs where police officers visit schools and remind them that it is possible that there are cops of color and/or female.  By doing so, the racial demographic will change and become more diverse in time and association with officers at an early age will remind people that an officers main goal is to protect the community, reducing the accepted belief that cops are bad people.

 It's surprising that being CALEA certified does not change the process of evaluation for procedures and policies. He did say it prioritizes professionalism however if only the police departments who are chosen to be held to these high standards are already known for the ability to go above and beyond, what does that say about the departments that aren't? What kind of standards are they held to and are they even close to being high enough? Does this mean there is a greater possibility that those departments are at higher risk to becoming corrupt or producing corrupt officers?

I was not surprised with the amount of high impact artillery the CPD has and was glad to hear how protected our cities officers are. I'm a firm believer in arming the men and women who protect our country inside its walls and I think everything they have is necessary.

From Officer White's answers, I believe the direction I am headed, towards a career in law enforcement, is absolutely the right path. His ability to change his everyday job so often while still operating under the same department aligns with my need for a job that is flexible. Like many other places of employment, especially those that work for the government, there are things that need to be changed: involvement in schools to promote diversity and reevaluation of standards. Officer White's time and information was greatly appreciated and it is because of his openness and flexibility that reassures to me that it is possible to be a police officer that is dedicated to their job, their personal life, and the community. While he did not offer advice in his response, it is clear that in his answers the key to a successful career as an officer is the core set of values known as PRIDE, professionalism, respect, integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm.