Skating snapshot: Detective relates to skaters

David Grenon

Age: 45

Lives in: Spokane

Day job: Detective with the Spokane Police Department.

Duty at the skating championships: Police presence at the skaters’ entrance to the ice.

Am I a skater? No. What do I know about skating? Absolutely nothing. Will I watch more skating now that I’ve been here? Probably about the same. But I now appreciate what they do. They have a lot of agility and coordination – and they are young.

The last couple of months have been hard for police officers. This is a chance to do something different. It’s fun.

Similarities between police officers and skaters? You have to be dedicated. You have to cope with stress. And you practice and rehearse what you’ve been trained to do.

It’s tough when they fall. They’ve worked hard, and then they have a mishap. It’s like life. You take steps forward and sometimes, there’s a step back, too.