110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - 110° Magazine - July 2007 - Through the gates of Hell - Index

PEEKS [PERSONA]
18 www.110mag.com July 2007
I took classes while I was in the Army and received my
high school diploma at Ft. Lewis in Washington.
While at Ft. Lewis I met Debi and it was love at first
sight — on my part, at least. She ignored me for a
while, but persistence finally paid off, and we married
in 1981 mid-way through my tour of duty.
I was a Sergeant earning $500 per month, so we
lived in a small trailer near my Fort Riley, Kansas
military base. We had two boys, James and Joshua.
I mustered out of the U.S. Army in 1983. I was
stationed in Korea at the time — near the DMZ.
The dream to become a police officer had
remained strong in my heart, so following my
discharge I got a two-year degree in Criminology. I
supported myself by working as a security guard,
and got a second job in a work/study program in the
school’s Counseling Center.
I began applying to various police departments and
was hired with the Seattle PD in January 1985. My
dream was finally coming true!
For the next three months I attended the Police
Academy in Burien, Washington, which is just south
of Seattle.
OFFICER EVENSON, SEATTLE PD
Twenty-five percent of Seattle is economically challenged
so we had some excitement. For almost eight
years I was a cop on the beat. During this time I
sometimes actually walked a beat in inner-city
neighborhoods.
One dark night I confronted a guy in the back of a
yard and chased him on foot. He escaped into a trailer
park. Another unit found him two blocks away. He had
fallen while running and suffered a heart attack. The
guy was drunk and had warrants, but his death
seemed a tragic incident.
Contrary to some people’s misconceptions, police
officers don’t ever want to take actions that result in
anybody’s death. Even though I hadn’t even been near
the felon when he died, I nevertheless struggled for a
while with his demise. I felt terrible for his family and
wondered if I could have done things differently.
Police work exacts a mental and emotional toll
on police officers because they’re always dealing
with ugliness. We’re sometimes like the frog put in
the pot of water that’s only gradually brought to a
boil. We often don’t realize how the pressure is
affecting us until we start smelling boiled bullfrog.
Working rotating shifts and always having our
noses rubbed in the bad parts of society creates
pressures that spill over into family life and causes
marital problems. It’s particularly tough on a young
couple with kids.
After seven years of pounding the beat I was
promoted to Patrol Sergeant, which really suited me.
I still spent a lot of time in the field. When officers
called for backup, I was one of the guys who would
show up.
I expected to retire as a Sergeant, but then I
became an Investigator for the department’s
Internal Affairs and lost a lot of friends, so I became
Lieutenant and spent the next five years as a Watch
Commander. That was a good job! It involved lots
of deskwork, but I made sure to get out in the field
sometimes because it is important for a superior
officer to spend time with troops. I’ve always been
a believer in the philosophy of Management by
Walking Around.
I was promoted again and spent the next five years
as a Captain. I was Precinct Commander for part of
the time, but then landed back in Internal Affairs as
the Commander.
I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in 2004, graduating
with an interdisciplinary degree that included
Criminology, Political Science, Astronomy, etcetera.
I took a wide range of courses because I’m a curious
person and enjoy learning.
I aspired to be Chief, but the situation at the top in
Seattle had stagnated so I started looking around. Like
ol’ Jeb Clampett, Debi and I thought California was
“the place we oughta be,” so I sent my resumé to five
cities that I selected from the positions available
based upon criteria that included location, livability,
quality of the police department, and the relationship
of the department with its citizens.
I went through the interview processes and became
a finalist in three cities, including Brentwood, San
Rafael, and Costa Mesa.