On June 29, 1989, I first donned a gun and badge. My life changed forever.
In the early spring of 1989, at the tender age of 20, I was working as a clerk in a convenience store in my teeny-tiny hometown, with a population of about 5,000 people (+/-). One of our loyal patrons was the captain of the local police department. His name was Robert Horton. He came in almost daily and bought various items (pop, candy, chips, smokes, etc.).
One particular March day, Robert came in, selected his items and upon paying for them, he asked me how old I was. I told him I was 20. He asked when I would be 21 and I told him in April. He said "ok" and left the store.
Robert returned a day or so later with a sheet of paper, laid it down on the counter in front of me and continued into the store to get his usual drink and a candy bar. When he returned to the check out counter, I asked him, "what is this?" He replied, "no biggie...just fill that out."
"But...what is it?" I asked again.
"Naw, just fill it out" he said again.
After reading it some more, I said, "it's an application for the police department, isn't it?" I said.
"Yeah, well...just fill it out and I'll come back and pick it up tomorrow."
So I filled it out. As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I always loved all the various cop shows back then...Adam-12, Dragnet, The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Police Story, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, etc., etc., etc., but I never really "seriously" thought about BEING a police officer.
As promised, he returned the next day, bought his stuff, picked up the application, shot the breeze for a bit, then left. He came back, as usual, day after day, but never breathed a word about the LEO position, kinda like it never happened. I figured, yeah, they probably already hired a guy that was a little older with more experience than some local snot nosed kid working in a stop and rob.
Then one day in late May, Robert came in the store and said, "hey, whatcha got going on tomorrow?" I told him nothing much. He said, "why don't you go down to city hall and talk to the chief. He wants to get to know you a little bit." I was kinda surprised and taken back by that, but I told him would.
The next day, I dressed in a little better clothes than I wore to work at the store, thinking I should at least make a good first impression. I walked into city hall, noticed the dispatcher on the right by the door, asked to see the chief and she motioned to the door down the hall on the right.
The door was open and it said, Ben Aguirre, Chief of Police on it. I knocked on the door, he looked up from the paperwork on his desk, asked if he could help me, I told him my name, he said, "yeah, come on in...close the door behind you."
I swallowed hard, closed the door and had a seat in an empty chair across from his desk. I introduced myself as did he, and we shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries. He looked right through me with his cold, empty cop eyes that had obviously, over the years, seen more than any person should, and asked me if I wanted to be a police officer. I told him I did. Then he asked me a question that I couldn't answer then and I still can't answer today...
"Why do you want to be a police officer?"
I froze. I searched my mind for the perfect answer. Seems like I spouted off something like, "to protect the innocent, uphold the public trust, serve my community, blah, buh, blah, buh, blah..."
He stopped me and said, "no...really...why do you want to be a police officer?"
Again, I stuttered and stammered around trying to come up with an answer, but I had nothing. He grinned a big grin and told me to come back and see him when I had an answer. With all the dignity I could muster, I sadly tucked my tail betwixt my legs and exited his office.
I never went back.
The month of May passed, as did most of June, then on June 28th, Robert came in the store, as usual, bought his typical stuff and headed towards the door. Just before he walked out, he asked, "hey, whatcha got going on tomorrow?" I answered with "nothing" and he said, "why don't you go ahead and come down to city hall and get sworn in. Chief said you got the job if you want it.
I was floored! I thought there was no way in hell I would ever land that job. I sat there like a bumbling idiot and couldn't answer one simple question. Obviously, he saw something in me that I never knew I had. So, I went, held my right hand up high, took an oath and I've toted a gun and badge ever since.
I've seen and done lots of things in 30 years. Met lots of people. Both good things and bad things. as well as both good people and bad people. I've spent shifts bored to tears and some nights I've been scared shitless. I've witnessed things that no human being should have to witness and I've seen/done things that I couldn't make up if I tried. But I gotta say, it's been a job like no other.
If you have read this atrocity to the very end, I appreciate you for humoring me and my long winded bullsh!t. Help me celebrate my 30th anniversary in law enforcement. Humbly yours, thanks!
In the early spring of 1989, at the tender age of 20, I was working as a clerk in a convenience store in my teeny-tiny hometown, with a population of about 5,000 people (+/-). One of our loyal patrons was the captain of the local police department. His name was Robert Horton. He came in almost daily and bought various items (pop, candy, chips, smokes, etc.).
One particular March day, Robert came in, selected his items and upon paying for them, he asked me how old I was. I told him I was 20. He asked when I would be 21 and I told him in April. He said "ok" and left the store.
Robert returned a day or so later with a sheet of paper, laid it down on the counter in front of me and continued into the store to get his usual drink and a candy bar. When he returned to the check out counter, I asked him, "what is this?" He replied, "no biggie...just fill that out."
"But...what is it?" I asked again.
"Naw, just fill it out" he said again.
After reading it some more, I said, "it's an application for the police department, isn't it?" I said.
"Yeah, well...just fill it out and I'll come back and pick it up tomorrow."
So I filled it out. As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I always loved all the various cop shows back then...Adam-12, Dragnet, The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Police Story, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, etc., etc., etc., but I never really "seriously" thought about BEING a police officer.
As promised, he returned the next day, bought his stuff, picked up the application, shot the breeze for a bit, then left. He came back, as usual, day after day, but never breathed a word about the LEO position, kinda like it never happened. I figured, yeah, they probably already hired a guy that was a little older with more experience than some local snot nosed kid working in a stop and rob.
Then one day in late May, Robert came in the store and said, "hey, whatcha got going on tomorrow?" I told him nothing much. He said, "why don't you go down to city hall and talk to the chief. He wants to get to know you a little bit." I was kinda surprised and taken back by that, but I told him would.
The next day, I dressed in a little better clothes than I wore to work at the store, thinking I should at least make a good first impression. I walked into city hall, noticed the dispatcher on the right by the door, asked to see the chief and she motioned to the door down the hall on the right.
The door was open and it said, Ben Aguirre, Chief of Police on it. I knocked on the door, he looked up from the paperwork on his desk, asked if he could help me, I told him my name, he said, "yeah, come on in...close the door behind you."
I swallowed hard, closed the door and had a seat in an empty chair across from his desk. I introduced myself as did he, and we shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries. He looked right through me with his cold, empty cop eyes that had obviously, over the years, seen more than any person should, and asked me if I wanted to be a police officer. I told him I did. Then he asked me a question that I couldn't answer then and I still can't answer today...
"Why do you want to be a police officer?"
I froze. I searched my mind for the perfect answer. Seems like I spouted off something like, "to protect the innocent, uphold the public trust, serve my community, blah, buh, blah, buh, blah..."
He stopped me and said, "no...really...why do you want to be a police officer?"
Again, I stuttered and stammered around trying to come up with an answer, but I had nothing. He grinned a big grin and told me to come back and see him when I had an answer. With all the dignity I could muster, I sadly tucked my tail betwixt my legs and exited his office.
I never went back.
The month of May passed, as did most of June, then on June 28th, Robert came in the store, as usual, bought his typical stuff and headed towards the door. Just before he walked out, he asked, "hey, whatcha got going on tomorrow?" I answered with "nothing" and he said, "why don't you go ahead and come down to city hall and get sworn in. Chief said you got the job if you want it.
I was floored! I thought there was no way in hell I would ever land that job. I sat there like a bumbling idiot and couldn't answer one simple question. Obviously, he saw something in me that I never knew I had. So, I went, held my right hand up high, took an oath and I've toted a gun and badge ever since.
I've seen and done lots of things in 30 years. Met lots of people. Both good things and bad things. as well as both good people and bad people. I've spent shifts bored to tears and some nights I've been scared shitless. I've witnessed things that no human being should have to witness and I've seen/done things that I couldn't make up if I tried. But I gotta say, it's been a job like no other.
If you have read this atrocity to the very end, I appreciate you for humoring me and my long winded bullsh!t. Help me celebrate my 30th anniversary in law enforcement. Humbly yours, thanks!
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