Please welcome Lakewood Police recruit Berg. He left one beautiful state to make a home in another.
My
name is Recruit Berg, and I am one of the many recent transplants to the Denver
area. I was born near Seattle, Washington and lived there most my life. I
wanted to get into law enforcement since high school, but I got married fairly
young. My wife and I moved around a bit early on in our marriage. We moved to
Hawaii to finish our degrees, and moving is not especially conducive to a
career in law enforcement. So I waited...
I
got my degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English and taught
high school for a couple of years on Oahu. It was actually the same one Bruno Mars
went to, so some of my colleagues had stories of him sleeping in class after
performing at local venues the night before.
I also spent a lot of my time working at a restaurant on the beachfront in
Waikiki. I was able to serve people and cultures from all over the world. I
still instinctively greet people with, “Aloha, how are we doing today?” from
time to time, which receives odd looks from people here in Colorado… For some
reason.
My
wife and I decided we wanted to start a family, and she wanted to start a
graduate program not offered in Hawaii. We found programs that matched my
wife’s career goals in the beautiful state of Colorado. Since we knew we’d finally be settling down, I applied to a
number of police departments. It was time for me to pursue a career in law
enforcement.
I
began to fully invest my time and energy in applying to departments across the
ocean, in a place I’d never been. This was my first challenge. Other than
looking at a map to know where someplace was, I was completely unaware of what
each city was like and what each department had to offer.
As
an out of state candidate, I was left with information that could be found on
each city and department’s website. I made phone call after phone call,
clarifying information and ensuring I understood the hiring process that proved
unique to each department. For example, most departments require passing a
written test before moving forward in their process. Others skip the written
test entirely and start off with an oral board. If you’ve never sat for an oral
board, I don’t have any consoling remarks. It is intimidating, getting grilled
with questions from a panel of 3-5 law enforcement officials. No matter the
answer you give, you walk away thinking of how you could have answered better.
The
time difference (4 hours) didn’t help. I continued to do my best and
communicate efficiently when I had to get something scheduled. Every candidate
has to deal with requesting time off work to complete each step in the hiring
process. Out of state candidates also have to bear travel costs with no
assurance of success. In fact, I expected to be rejected by several
departments.
Which
is exactly what happened to me. My first trip to Colorado was a redeye flight
where I changed into my suit (suits are expected at most parts of the hiring
process) in the airplane bathroom minutes before landing. I didn’t want to get
it wrinkled on the plane, so I carried it on with me. I felt like Superman,
changing in a phone booth, as I stepped out excited and ready for the seemingly
unending tests I was about to take.
Except
when I stepped off that flight (sleeping fitfully), I arrived at my first
department within an hour only to find I hadn’t quite scored high enough to
continue. Now you tell me.
Quick
rejection isn’t any easier to swallow. I had an oral board the following
morning with a different department, an hour and a half drive from where I was
staying. I passed their process and was placed on an eligibility list. A quick hop
in my car, an hour back to take another written test that I “passed”, but didn’t
score high enough to move forward (uhhh-gehn).
The rest of the weekend was two more tests and a polygraph. I wouldn’t find out
my results for those until I was back home.
That
was one trip. Four departments, four written tests, an oral board, and a
polygraph squeezed across four days. I was responsible for scheduling all of
these appointments and ensuring there were no time conflicts. And still,
nothing is guaranteed, but I pushed through it.
Lakewood
consolidated out of state hiring into one weekend. Exhausting doesn’t begin to
describe what it was like, but no other department did this. Typically, an out
of state candidate would be expected to make 3-4 trips out for the hiring
process. Lakewood made each advancing step contingent on clearing the previous
hurdle. I met some who didn’t, so their trips were cut short. The pressure was
intense, but it was refreshing to receive results immediately and do everything
in one trip.
And
so I completed four tests over three days. I anxiously awaited my results after
each stage, attempting to deal with the butterflies in my stomach to see if I
would be moved onto the next stage. Obviously, I successfully passed each part,
or I wouldn’t be here writing this!
Through
several rejections, I persevered and was offered a position with the Lakewood
Police Department. Although it was a grueling process, I’m with the department
I truly want to be with. Not only that, but the friendships and experiences
I’ve been piling on over the last 16 weeks of academy have made it all worth it
in the end.
