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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Police Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
CHF Kirk M Fitch (1985-Present)
Havre Police Department
WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO MAKE A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
I started out at Ohio State thinking I wanted to join a federal law enforcement agency. I was majoring in sociology and working part time at a local Sears store in Columbus, OH. While working at Sears, I met a reserve deputy sheriff who also worked at the store and he invited me for a ride along. After a few shifts of riding with him and going on various calls, I also scheduled a ride along with the Columbus Police Department and I was hooked on changing my career choice to local policing as a career.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
 I began my career as a Police Officer in West Caldwell, NJ. Shortly after joining this department, the opportunity arose for me to move to Phoenix, AZ.
In December, 1986, I became a Phoenix Police Officer, rising through the ranks to Lieutenant. I served the Phoenix PD in various capacities and assignments until my retirement in 2006. Upon retirement, I assisted a fellow Phoenix PD retiree with forming the Maricopa Police Department (AZ) from the ground up. Photo is our entire police force and support personnel the very first day we went operational.
I served the City of Maricopa P.D. as both the Assistant Chief and Police Chief during my five year tenure at the department. The department serves a vibrant and developing city of approximately 40 square miles and 44,000 people.
Today, I am serving as the Chief of Police for the city of Havre, Montana. Located in north central Montana with a population around 10,000, is 100 miles north of great Falls, MT and 40 miles south of the Canadian border.
DID YOU SERVE IN THE MILITARY PRIOR? AND IF SO, IN WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE? IN WHAT WAYS HAS MILITARY SERVICE INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
 I am a veteran of the US Army Military Police. This photo was taken at Ft. McClellan, AL in the summer of 1980. The look of sleepiness is real. I was exhausted from the summer heat and humidity and long hours of training.
I think the military sets the proper tone for a law enforcement career. It teaches you rank structure, chain of command, discipline, being part of a team and the idea that you are serving your country and community for the greater good.
WHICH, OF THE AGENCIES OR DEPARTMENTS YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO, DO YOU HAVE THE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY?
I believe I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Phoenix Police Department. Not only did I go through the academy there, but I spent all of my career there in the patrol division. There were so many challenges just in patrol, both mentally and at times physically, that it would impossible to get bored. The department also allowed me to continue my education and I received thousands of hours of training internally and had I access to numerous, nationally acclaimed training experts.
That young man fourth from the right in the first row is me. After months of rigorous training we were all ready to get out on the streets to serve and protect.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
On February 12, 1997, I was a Sergeant in the Phoenix Police Department, serving in the South Mountain precinct and working the over-night shift. Additionally, I was training an officer who was due to be promoted to sergeant.
At approximately 0330 a call came in of an armed robbery-carjacking that  had just occurred in our squad area. Since I had a good working knowledge of the area, I instructed the officer I was with to drive to a near-by apartment complex that served as known as a common dumping ground for cars which had been stolen or taken at gun-point.
As we neared the location, I spotted the victims' car in the rear alley and observed two subjects running from the car. I ordered the officer to drive to the next block, then turn east in an effort to cut off their escape path. As we rounded the corner, our car's Alley Light lit up the space between two apartments and as I radioed in the suspect descriptions, I jumped out of the car, hoping to cut off the fleeing suspects before they reached the location near the apartments. As I walked up between the apartments with my flashlight in one hand and my gun in the other, I turned to view the back yard of the apartment to my right, when an outline of a person appeared in my peripheral vision.
As I completed turning and facing the suspect, a saw a flash and I could feel the impact of the bullet as it struck my chest. It felt as though I had been hit in the chest with a baseball bat. I momentarily lost my breath, but adrenaline kicked in and I realized within a millisecond what had happened. I raised my gun and fired several shots in the direction where I had seen the shadowy figure.
Later, it was determined my shots hit the corner of the building where the suspect had been hidden prior to the ambush and had fled, dropping his gun as he returned to a friend's apartment. Due to excellent police response by members of my squad and Department, the shooter and the other suspect were rounded up within an hour of the shooting.
My injuries consisted of severe bruising, as the .357 magnum bullet had penetrated the steel plate in the vest and then disbursed inside the vest. If not for that vest I would have been killed instantly that early morning in south Phoenix.
I believe from this point on in my life, I didn't worry so much about the little things in life and I also realized that my family and friends are the most important things in my life. I think many of us, especially in law enforcement, think the job is everything and at times, we can let this career or career advancement, consume us. I have witnessed many officers neglect their families for the sake of the next promotion or work so much off-duty that they rarely saw their families or were there for their kids as they grew and changed. After that incident, I made a personal commitment to stay in patrol, have my three days off each week (I worked a 4 to10 schedule) and be actively involved in my family's life. While this decision may have limited my career opportunities, I believe, for me, it was the best choice.
OF THE MEDALS, AWARDS OR BADGES YOU RECEIVED, WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
 The Medal of Valor I received from the Phoenix Police Department in 1997, for being shot in the line of duty while actively attempting to find armed robbery/carjacking suspects.
I remember going to a community meeting one time after this incident and hearing some members of the community complaining that the officers didn't really care about their community. It was at this meeting that I related that I had risked my life for a perfect stranger and would do it again because that was the commitment I made when I took my oath of office and I knew plenty of other officers felt the same way. To me this career was a calling, a commitment to serve the community like no other profession.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR CAREER MADE THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOU AND WHY?
While serving as an Area Manager, namely as a police lieutenant in charge of community programs for specific geographical areas within a precinct, I had the opportunity to serve with another police lieutenant, Patrick Melvin. He and I hit it off and we both served in the South Mountain precinct  for a while. Later, he was promoted to Police Commander and I was the lieutenant in charge of the precinct at night. We would talk about job opportunities after our Phoenix careers. We also both attended Arizona State University's Certified Public Manager course.
When Patrick Melvin got the job as the first chief of Police ever for the city of Maricopa, he was tasked with the job of starting a police department from the ground up. He asked me to be his number two person and together we went about this arduous task. While this was a tremendous undertaking, it was a huge learning experience and one that I will always remember.
During this time, I learned a lot from Pat. He was very good at meeting with community members, elected officials and gathering support for the department. He also always reminded me we would always take the high road (when the challenging times came), as we went through the inevitable growing pains, going from the original two of us to over 65 employees.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR CAREER THAT WAS FUNNY AT THE TIME AND STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
I think when you enjoy the job as much as I have over the years, there are numerous things you can find funny. As many of you have experienced, cops develop a weird sense of humor when dealing with so much high stress situations and tense encounters.
When I worked in the Desert Horizon precinct, for many years I had a close friend who's name is Richard Cosenza. He and I would ride a two man car regularly. While we responded to numerous intense calls over the years, we had plenty of laughs.
 When we started riding together, he was younger than me and single. I would always laugh because before we got out of the car, on almost every call, he would pull out a hair brush, look in the rear view mirror and comb his hair. He would really pride himself on his looks and would regularly work out.
One day we were just finishing up from a lunch break and I was getting something out of our patrol car trunk. He was standing by the drivers side door and I was bending over retrieving something, when two young ladies drove by us in the parking lot. The girl on the passenger side yelled out, "nice ass". To this day, I never let him live it down about how that girl complimented my butt and not his!
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER?
Lesson number one is that this is a very honorable profession and one should feel privileged to serve in this noble endeavor.
Secondly, this is not a game. One must train for any possible occurrence and while you can't live your life in the "red" zone, you must be aware of your surroundings, understanding that there are people who will be willing to kill you to escape capture or detection.
As I stated before, this profession was a calling for me and I have realized that very few people can do this profession successfully and retire.
Lastly, you have to have fun, in addition to all the hard work and education it takes to be successful in this job.
WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIP(S)?
 IACP, International Association of Chiefs of Police
IPA, International Police Association
MACOP, Montana Association Chiefs of Police- Executive Board Member 2013
NUCPS, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety Alumni Association
FBI / LEEDA, Law Enforcement Executive Development Association
IACLEA, International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
PCLEA, Pinal County Law Enforcement Association (President-2011)
I think each group has a unique perspective. Some, like the FBI/LEEDA organization is training focused, while the IPA is geared towards the social and fraternal aspect of being part of the national and international police family.
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 believe peace officers are held to a higher standard by society and I have tried to live by that standard. Does that mean you will miss some of the parties your friends who are not in law enforcement may attend? Maybe, but by staying away from activities the average person gets involved in avoids some of the temptation in the long run (especially younger officers). This also includes going to the same local bars which are frequented by the same people you will end up arresting at some point.
I think in general, I am very hesitant to discuss things I have been involved with on the job with someone who has never been in this line of work. It is just hard for the average person to relate, especially if their only reference is TV or movies.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A ROOKIE WHO HAS JUST PUT ON THE BADGE?
Remember that badge stands for a lot of things, like honor, integrity, courage, dedication and the willingness to give your life for your fellow man. It usually comes with a lot of history that they should learn about especially their own department.
You are now held to a higher standard than most people. You should show respect to all you  come in contact with and always remember you represent the city, county or whatever jurisdiction you are serving.
The easiest way to remember this is treat everyone as you would want to be treated. Do the right thing, for the right reason all the time and know that whatever you do, it could be on the front page of the paper (or on-line) the next day (or in today's world, beamed via cell phone, live).
Photo is the entire Havre Police Department.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL THIS WEBSITE CAN BENEFIT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY?
 By allowing others to share information, stories and the ability for members to connect with other members are very beneficial.
Staying connected to the law enforcement community benefits so many people and TWS sure helps Officers stay connected. To be able to pass on various experiences to the veteran or new officer, many times causes those in the profession to reflect on their unique experiences. It also shows many people the various paths there are to becoming an Officer, working their way up the ranks or into specialty details and life after the Department in which you began a career. I have witnessed many Officers who are reluctant to leave their first department; but there are so many challenges out there, whether in law enforcement or other related fields after your sworn career.
In addition, I like reading about other Officer's careers from various agencies around the country. It shows you the differences, but surprisingly, the similarities in our profession.
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who currently serve, or who previously served as a US Police or Federal Officer, and conveys how serving their Country and Community has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like your story to be featured in a future edition of Voices, or know someone else who may be interested, please contact TWS Voices HERE.
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