As more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) controversies have occurred in the country, students majoring in criminal justice are being put in the middle of a complicated situation. With the recent civilian deaths, protests and political clashes, those looking to get into law enforcement have had their careers under a much closer lens, which raises some questions about how future officers feel going into their profession.
Sophomore Nolan Mount is a reserve officer in Shenandoah, working when he is able to. Nolan spoke on what law enforcement means to him.
“I love how you can interact with so many different people, and then when it comes to answering calls for service, really digging into situations that people are dealing with,” Mount said. “Putting a child in a safer space, getting drunk drivers off the road, things like that are really important to me.”
Mount also spoke on how law enforcement and ICE can get conflated into one group, when in reality the two are very different.
“I think it’s pretty direct sometimes, the way that people will bring out current events going on in other states or with different agencies,” Mount said. “ICE for example, we kind of get tied in as you know, enforcement agencies instead of just who we are as people.”
Senior Todd Uhl will soon enter into his law enforcement profession and shared similar viewpoints.
“I think when you think of either ICE or law enforcement, you’re going to group them together even if you’re not familiar with it and they’re really totally different from each other,” Uhl said. “Even city law enforcement compared to being on county sheriff’s office can be completely different as well.”
Uhl spoke on the impact current events can have on those about to enter law enforcement.
“At first I was more hesitant to, because there is such a pressure now, if you do something wrong then it can be really bad for you,” Uhl said. “I think that going in with the right intentions and the right reasons means that you’re going to stay on the right path and you’re going to be trained the right way.”
Uhl plans to work back in his hometown and determine which department or agency is the best fit for him. The appeal of helping the community who raised him is a driving force for him.
Mount spoke on the long process of creating or restoring positive views of law enforcement in his hometown of Shenandoah. He said now, there is most likely a general negative connotation of the police.
“I think it makes me want to approach every situation assuming they’ve had negative interactions with law enforcement, or that all they see is the negative things about law enforcement,” Mount said. “I always have this idea of going up to a vehicle or pulling up to a call, that I’m going to change the way this person thinks of the police.”
Mount said with the current events going on, he is more determined than ever to go out there and be the change he wants to see.
