What I Thought a Career in Law Enforcement Meant

When I began my career in law enforcement, unexpectedly jumping into the academy with the encouragement of a friend, I dove in wholeheartedly with the expectation to be the best public servant for the community I was hired to protect. I had visions of Sheriff Andy Griffith and equated my career trajectory to be similar to the show. Naturally, I gravitated toward rural law enforcement. I was invited to work in southwestern Pennsylvania's version of Mayberry - Ligonier. I knew that the inherent dangers associated with a career in law enforcement were still present and very much a possibility in the area. Still, I was overly excited to make a connection to the community that would continue to shed a positive light on the law enforcement community.

For several years, I worked tirelessly to be a present and approachable fixture in the small town. Foot patrols around the business district, although expected as part of our duty, became a staple of my shift I look forward to. It was exciting and fulfilling to engage with community members, business owners, and visitors alike. I was honored to be a part of history in 2019. The local borough and township governments decided that the regionalization of the two police forces would better serve the larger community, increase safety for the officers, and provide financial relief through shared burdens on the governments. With the evolution of the new Ligonier Valley Police Department, I was tapped for a special task. I was asked to become the School Resource Officer for our community's school district. I was honored, I was nervous, but most of all, I was excited for the opportunity to engage the youth in our community daily providing a bridge between law enforcement and our youth and continuing my vision of community-oriented policing.

In the Spring of 2023, we were blown an unsightly blemish, a search warrant by United States Department of Homeland Security and Pennsylvania State Police was served on the personal cell phone and take-home police car of a former ranking officer. The news spread like a wildfire in a windstorm. I did not know how to react. I knew that this officer was not the man I once assumed him to be, but I resolved that he was human, and still had some ounce of integrity. But the fires still raged and more news broke after his termination from the department. He was arrested on unrelated charges.

Our department, which was once on an upward trajectory, plummeted in allegations of corruption and devastated morale. The embers continued to glow from the fire that the alleged actions and subsequent arrest of one of our ranking officers caused to ignite. A faction of township supervisors began to spread the misconceptions of widespread corruption. One of them who is seated on the police commission, an oversight committee with representatives of both governments, began investigating officers outside of policy and procedure for fabricated allegations of wrongdoing. This supervisor, ironically, was very close to the former ranking officer and despised the departments current leadership. Another supervisor assaulted an officer during the annual community festival. He was investigated and charged by the District Attorney's Office, found guilty, and appealed his conviction. Having his conviction overturned, he proceeded to file a civil suit against the department and the officers involved claiming it was a misuse of the criminal justice system to tarnish his reputation and image. The litigation is currently ongoing. The third supervisor continues to make unsubstantiated claims that officers are on drugs and that the community would be better serviced and more financially stable if they disbanded the regional police force and outsourced the service to Pennsylvania State Police. Most recently, this faction of township supervisors chose to appoint the man with pending legal action against the department to the commission that oversees its operations. At the same reorganization meeting, the three voted to pursue legal action against the police commission for a recently reappointed citizen seat that they disagreed with. 

When I began this career, I knew I would have to fight, be an instrument for justice, and counsel others on the ethical decisions people struggle with each day. However, I never would have imagined that the fight would be within the structure of government that employs its peacekeepers. I struggle each day with the decision to lay low and continue working at rebuilding a trusting image of law enforcement or speaking up and holding those people accountable for their unethical practices, their unfair treatment of our community protectors, and their wrongdoings. I have begun to realize that I have a moral duty to both rebuild that trust and hold our elected officials accountable for their words and actions. While they operate under the guise of reformation, change, and growth, the foundations of their arguments are seated in sand that is easily washed away by the sea. As difficult as it is, I must continue to make waves and expose their fallacies. I must be true to my duty, "I will never betray my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions." (IACP)