I had been counting down the days until TODAY, but I have also been so nervous. Allow me to explain. My friend’s dad is an officer for the San Antonio Police Department. I am a sociology major, and we have actually spent the past few weeks studying policing in all different aspects. We have studied police subculture, deviance in policing, and the administrative side that goes along with policing as well. I feel like I have so much insider information. However, I am not naïve. I am obviously not working in law enforcement and neither is my professor who has worked in academia for years. I can read and study policing all that I want, but I would never know how close to the truth it is. I found out that my friend’s father is an officer, so I asked if I could interview him. I really just wanted to have a conversation with an officer to get more of a handle on the job and the effects of it. Officer Ramirez was incredible!! He was very open about the job, while informing me that, that is a rarity to find within the department. We talked about the changes the department has gone through over the last thirty years, women in the field, most important issues facing police, and the scrutiny that the department is constantly under. It is an obviously stressful environment, but he told me some stories that make his job worth it. I hope to continue dialoguing with him, because I am interested in finding out everything I can about all aspects of the criminal justice system. Police are normal people that civilians constantly want to hold to a higher standard than everyone else. It is a tough reality to face that you can’t save the world, but amazing officers like Officer Ramirez are truly working to make a difference.
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