Reasons We Serve: Police Careers & Officer Experience

Short stories with Officer Fox

Years of Service: 1999-2017

In part 2, Jess begins discussing the start of a great career with the Hayward Police Department. She had finally arrived at a police department and community where she was working on real crime including homicide, sexual assault, burglary, home invasions, and gang activity. During the first few years, Jess was doing the job she believed she was always meant to do. However, along the way, incidents began happening within the police department that she could not ignore and when she reported what was going on to her chain of command, she soon found herself under internal affair investigations and worse many officers of her own department would no longer respond to her calls for backup. During this time, the Hayward Police Department begrudgingly made her a K9 officer, hoping she would fail. Through this adversity, Jess became a successful K9 officer who had two dogs during her career and was assigned to the SWAT Team. Jess formed an inseparable bond with both dogs who became her best friends and partners and were there in every instance when other officers would not respond. For current officers on the job, this story is about someone standing up against the system and ensuring we always try to do what is right.

Short stories with Officer Fox

Years of Service: 1999-2017  

In part 1, Jess discusses her troubled family life and how that shaped the person she became. Jess used these experiences and adversity to help her become an effective police officer first with the Palo Alto Police Department and then later with the Hayward Police Department. While working for the Palo Alto Police Department, Jess realized she was not a “white suburban cop” and later transferred to the Hayward Police Department where she began to work “real crime”.  Throughout her career, Jess describes herself as a SAM (shit-attracting magnet), and during part 1 she talks about situations that she found herself in including a shooting at the beginning of her career. This episode probes the beginnings of a career in law enforcement with episode 2 detailing what happens when things start to go wrong within a police department.

Short stories with Officer Fox

Years of Service: 1982-2022

With over 40 years of law enforcement experience, Frank has risen through the ranks of the Garda Síochána which is the national police force for Ireland. For context, there are no independent police departments, sheriff's offices, or national agencies such as the DEA, FBI, and HSI in Ireland. This means the Garda handles all crimes throughout Ireland. As you will hear during this interview, Ireland's police force is much more community-oriented but as Frank explains they still have the same crimes in Ireland as does the United States. Frank ended his career as a Regional Detective Superintendent after rising through the ranks of Recruit Garda, Garda, Uniform Sergeant, Detective Garda, Bookman or Incident Coordinator, and Detective Superintendent.

Short stories with Officer Fox

Years of Service: 1998-Present

Cpl. Wills is a motorcycle officer assigned to the Boise Police Department Traffic Enforcement Unit. Kyle has been a police officer for 26 years, 24 of which have spent in the traffic safety and enforcement field, with 22 of those being on a police motorcycle. Kyle is a Law Enforcement Liaison for the Idaho Office of Highway Safety and works closely with over 30 other police and sheriff departments in southwest Idaho. He is currently serving as the Idaho Law Enforcement Liaison Chairman and additionally oversees a Strategic Highway Safety Plan Committee for the Highway Safety Office. He has also worked as a Legislative Liaison when it comes to traffic safety issues facing the Idaho Legislature, as well as, serving in a PIO capacity for the Boise Police Department when discussing traffic safety issues in the community, specializing in social media for the Boise Police Department.

Kyle can be followed on social media through Twitter @kjwills652 or on Facebook at Kyle Lel.

Short stories with Officer Fox

Years of Service: 1991-2021

Following in the steps of his father, Raul became a police officer in 1991. Raul served at several different agencies including the Bannock County Sheriff's Office, Heyburn Police Department, and Cassia County Sheriff's Office. Raul would then work for the Department of Energy Idaho National Laboratory's SWAT Team where he helped guard nuclear material. He finally found his home with the Ada County Sheriff's Office where his full-time assignment was to the patrol division. He was assigned to the Ada Metro SWAT team for 18 years and became a Sniper Team Element Leader. Raul also worked as a Detective with the FBI Metro Violent Crimes Gangs Task Force and was a Firearms Instructor.

Raul is also the host of the 10-32 podcast.