WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR CAREER MADE THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOU AND WHY?

There are three: Joe McCulough (Rock Hill Police Department) for taking the time to make sure that I was prepared for whatever this job would throw at me and showing me it's okay to have a sense of humor to balance it out.
  

 Jeff Mercer (Greensboro Police Department), for setting the standards of what being a 

police officer and family man should be. For inviting me into his family and creating a lasting friendship that I will always treasure.

D.W. Perdue, whom I worked with in Mebane and Greensboro, NC, for remaining my friend for the past thirty-three years and always being there though everything, in spite of the miles that were often between us. Showing me that the bond of the badge stretches far beyond what anyone could imagine.

CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR CAREER THAT WAS FUNNY AT THE TIME AND STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?

I was riding with a fellow deputy one afternoon in York County when we dec

ided to pull into a car wash on SC72. As we

 pulled onto the lot, we both observed a large sign, and he began reading it out loud. "For the best hand job in Rock Hill, pull in here".  As he completed reading it, we both burst out laughing and could not stop. Just then, we were called by 

dispatch, but neither one of us could answer the radio because we were laughing so hard we were in tears.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER?

Don't do all the talking and you just might learn something!

WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIP(S)?

South Carolina Association of Crisis Negotiators, National Criminal Enforcement Association, Fraternal Order of Police, Police Benevolent Association.

Each provides it's own benefits unique to it's field as well as networking opportunities with other professionals in law enforcement.

HOW HAS SERVING AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU CONDUCT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT?

I think it's hard to separate what we do, from who we are sometimes. Cops are notorious for wanting to control everything. We're also known for our high divorce rate as well. (Guilty).

But on the other hand, I think being in law enforcement holds us to a higher standard and most officers convey that in other aspects of their lives.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A ROOKIE WHO HAS JUST PUT ON THE BADGE?

Don't assume that you know everything as soon as you graduate the academy. You don't. Even after you're through with FTO and you're on your own and starting to feel confident, you still have a lot to learn. After a few years on the streets. Nope. Folks, you never know it all, so don't act like you do.

Listen to senior officers. From veterans who have really been there and done that, not just say they have. Learn from our mistakes, so that you don't make them yourselves.

Don't live for your job. There's nothing like it in the world. Every day it's something different and at times it's great! But it will never take the place of your family and those who are close to you. If you choose the job over everything else, you'll lose everything else. Don't make your wife and family feel second best or less important. This is a job, a career maybe, but balance it with the rest of your life.

Come to the realization early on that everything is not black and white. There's a lot of grey out there. Enforce the spirit of the law, more than the letter of the law. Or you'll never make it to your pension.

And lastly, always remember the "two percent factor". Your badge covers 2% of your body and none of your ass. Don't expect it to get you out of anything that you can't get out of on your own. It is not some invisible force shield.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL THIS WEBSITE CAN BENEFIT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY?

In recent years I've observed the "police family" going the way of the societal family. We're falling apart. The thin blue line of camaraderie is all but a thing of the past. We are seeing a generation of self serving people who are in this job to make money and to better themselves at all cost.

There was a time when you earned the respect of your peers by joining them, working hard and standing by each other through whatever was thrown at you. You did it together. Celebrating triumphs and achievements together. Now it seems that we're obsessed with what someone else has that we want. Be it rank, position, title or whatever.

I would like to see us return to where we've drifted from afar. Maybe this site can be a start to restoring the spirit of brotherhood and things that really matter.