Huckleberries Online

Interest Grows In Local Police Work

Posted by DFO

Feb. 23, 2009 8:24 a.m. • 13 comments

Item: Interest in law enforcement careers growing/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR

More Info: A career that involves putting your life on the line has apparently become more appealing, as long as it offers decent pay and job stability. Applications for police work are climbing after several years of recruitment struggles, according to most Inland Northwest police agencies. In the past 12 months, the Spokane Police Department received nearly double the applications it did over the same period the year before. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department saw 36 percent more interest.

Question: When you were little, did you dream of growing up to be a fireman or a policeman?

13 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

moscow_minidoka on February 23 at 10:13 a.m.
No. I always wanted to be a cartoonist with a daily comic strip in the newspaper.
DFO on February 23 at 10:29 a.m.
>No. I always wanted to be a cartoonist with a daily comic strip in the newspaper — MM<

MM; if there’s a species more endangered than a journalist today, it’s a newspaper cartoonist. Milt Priggee, my talented ol’ buddy from the SR Editorial Board days, is still free-lancing in western Washington, I believe.
Cindy_H on February 23 at 11:25 a.m.
No. I just wanted to be a mom.
Ironically, my duties often encompass both police and fire duties.
JeanieSpokane on February 23 at 11:30 a.m.
I love your avatar today, Cindy. It’s so you.
Dennis on February 23 at 11:56 a.m.
I followed that dream and became a cop. I enjoyed every minute but at what price? The wear and tear on ones body and sanity. The never ending worry from my wife who dreaded any call when I was on duty. Missing out on some of the kids events.

Then there where the rewards of the job, way too many to mention.

The bad part about this reason for the interest is the security of that type of work. That is the wrong mentallity to have. If you are just “Looking” for a job, I wouldn’t recommend a law enforcement position.
idawa on February 23 at 5:37 p.m.
my brother is a fireman in Idaho and I, sometimes, envy his career choice. Lots of perks, none the least of which is being able to help people and do something physical everyday. While at law school, I’ve clerked for a law firm that represents fire and police guilds and I have to say, knowing what these fireman make in various Washington towns, I am even more jealous. Then again, firemen have relatively short career and very few can do the job past 50, but in retrospect I might have been happy following in his footsteps.
Liz on February 24 at 1:24 a.m.
No, I always was too much of a chicken. Most of my dream jobs as a child didn’t involve physical danger. All the more reason that I respect those who are willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.