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Career
Quick Look
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Getting Started: Kathy Eley's career in Law Enforcement
started on a dare. Her previous work experience had been
in a nursing home, which she liked, but having recently
moved back to Hastings with her husband, she needed to
get another job. She and a friend had always talked about
being cops in a playful way, glorifying the adventure
and danger of the job. So when Kathy stumbled across a
want ad recruiting new police officers, she thought to
herself, "Well why not? What have I got to lose?" She
never expected to get the job and was actually terrified
of handling a gun, but much to her surprise, she found
herself toting a pistol on the night patrol a year later.
Education: At the time when Kathy first hired on
with the Hastings Police Department, no education beyond
a High School Diploma was necessary to enter the force
as a patrol officer, which is still generally the case
today. Kathy had to complete a 7-week training program
with the Nebraska Law Enforcement Agency where she learned
defensive tactics, crime scene preservation, gun handling
and related essential skills. She received the rest of
her training on-the-job, learning the day-to-day activities
involved in Law Enforcement such as how to write police
reports, proper contacts and other general policing principles.
The length of time required for field training varies
with different agencies. Following her field training,
Kathy was assigned a patrol unit and sent out to work
independently.
Greatest Professional Achievement: In general,
Kathy, as most police officers, does not get to see the
results of her work. But every once in a while, her professional
accomplishments come back to thank her in person. Kathy
was once the detective on a case involving a young girl
who was being molested by her stepfather. After investigating,
the stepfather was indicted based on Kathy's recommendation
and the girl was removed from the home. Years later, Kathy
ran into the girl who was then a grown women with a child
of her own. The girl recognized Kathy and said to her,
"I want to thank you for saving my life. I will never
forget you." Another case involved a young man whom Kathy
had arrested many times for charges ranging from burglary
to drug abuse. He recognized her at the county fair and
came up to her to thank her for arresting him and setting
him on the right path to clean up and return to his family.
"You always hope that you're having a good impact," Kathy
says. It's great when she can see proof of it.
Barriers: As the first female officer hired by
the Hastings Police Department, Kathy naturally had to
overcome some resistance in the first part of her career.
Some men quit the force and some wives would not allow
their husbands to work with her, and as a rookie, she
was given the least significant assignments. But Kathy
was tough: "I was bound and determined that these people
were not gonna run me out of here. I said to myself, 'I
will not leave crying.'" Regardless of her co-worker's
initial resistance, Kathy was paid the same as any other
entry-level cop and the community was supportive of her.
After this initial trial period, Kathy "quit worrying
about what people thought," and focused on being a good
police officer, doing the best job she could with the
assignments she was given. This personal focus served
her well as she eventually became very popular with the
community and was even invited to participate in some
talk shows and make appearances at local events. Despite
the difficulty, Kathy doesn't regret her path in life,
"I've met so many people. I've done so many things than
I had never even dreamed of, saw some horrific things
I never thought I'd see or knew existed, but it's always
been satisfying for the most part."
Working with Men: Kathy remains something of a
minority in her department being one of only a handful
of female officers in the Hastings Police Department and
the only female detective. But she has paid her dues and
her standing in the department has nothing to do with
her gender. These days, the Hastings Police Department
does not tolerate sexism. Sexual harassment policies are
in place and sexual harassment training is available.
"Back then you just had to put up with it," Kathy says,
"I was ignorant and fearful and didn't want to deal with
the consequences of bringing it up. I didn't know any
other way. But now there are more of us, so it just doesn't
happen as much."
Advice for Women: Kathy's advice to those interested
in entering law enforcement is to first and foremost keep
a clean criminal record with no serious traffic violations.
She says you must also be a truly honest person, as you'll
be accusing others of wrongdoing. To fit in with the environment
of a police station you need to have something of a thick
skin to keep up with the teasing competitions among officers.
Maintaining a strong sense of humor is almost a job requirement
to offset the more difficult aspects of working in law
enforcement. As a woman entering this profession, Kathy
says the most valuable lesson she taught herself was persistence
and learning to trust her abilities.
Typical Workday/Environment: Kathy's job as a detective
involves much written and oral communication and she says
that excellent reading and writing skills, as well as
clear oral communication skills, are essential job requirements.
She spends a significant amount of time on the phone following
up on details of each case or tracking down individuals
and also deals with a heavy volume of paperwork in the
form of reports and warrants. She communicates with city
attorneys for court cases and interviews and/or interrogates
individuals related to her cases. She is also required
to occasionally stand as a witness for other police officers
in court cases. Her job is essentially independent, but
teamwork is required for certain cases depending on their
seriousness or difficulty. Other important personality
traits she lists for the job are the ability to get along
with different kinds of people, a thick skin, a strong
stomach and a healthy respect for life and for yourself.
Career Ladder: Anyone entering the police force
must start as a patrol officer in order to understand
the job from the bottom up. Entry-level wages vary depending
on the city you work for, but generally range between
$20,000 and $60,000 per year. Kathy's move from Patrol
Officer to Detective was more of a lateral transition
in her agency, but some agencies offer higher pay for
detective work. Officers can receive pay increases and
annual cost-of-living increases, but the greatest salary
increases occur when an officer is promoted to a rank
such as Sergeant. Salaries vary greatly for ranked officers
- in some areas of the country Lieutenants can earn up
to $90,000 per year. The amount of time this takes depends
on the department size. There are usually more opportunities
to advance in larger departments. These salary scales
are public, so check with your local police department.
Professional Associations: Local Fraternal Order of
Police, Secretary; Police Officer's Association of Nebraska
(POAN); Teammates Mentoring Program
Hobbies: When not on the job, Kathy enjoys restoring
her older home and doing yard work or relaxing with a
good book. She also spends her free time surrounding herself
with good friends and family, "You must be around the
normal to deal with the abnormal," she says with a chuckle.
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*Annual salary number is not the role model's actual salary. Salary for Detective based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition
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