{"id":12675,"date":"2024-05-30T14:50:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T18:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=12675"},"modified":"2024-07-02T14:58:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T18:58:41","slug":"talking-shop-with-cops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=12675","title":{"rendered":"Talking shop with cops"},"content":{"rendered":"

The police drama has been a popular staple of American television since Dragnet<\/em> pioneered the way in the early 1950s. We are pulled to the investigative mysteries, the high-speed chases, the courtroom dramas, and even the real-life news stories that portray police officers \u2014 depending on events \u2014 as either heroes or villains. But as police have come under scrutiny in the 21st century, we wondered: How accurately do these shows reflect the reality of the job?<\/p>\n

We turned to our alumni network of law enforcement officers to explore what it means to be a police officer today. We also spoke to professor Michael Mitchell to help us understand what the cop shows get right and wrong.<\/p>\n

Michael Mitchell
\nProfessor of criminology and African American studies<\/h2>\n
\"Michael
Michael Mitchell Professor of criminology and African American studies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mitchell grew up in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas, where his devotion to shows such as Law and Order and CSI led him to get involved with the Dallas Police Explorers, a police academy for youth and young adults interested in law enforcement careers. \u201cI was about 11 years old,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cI looked at police officers as superheroes. I saw them as going into dangerous situations, helping people in need. I was attracted to the entertainment, the excitement, the adrenaline rush \u2014 serving arrest warrants, investigating crime scenes, seeing cases adjudicated in court.\u201d<\/p>\n

That interest never wavered. After Mitchell graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in administration of justice, he went to work as a corrections officer at the Dallas County jail, and later as a police officer in his hometown of Garland. But he found the daily reality of police work often conflicted with both his long-held perceptions and his academy training. He went on to earn a doctorate and pursue a career in academia. \u201cNow, as an educator, I do the best I can to ensure that students and the public understand the realities of the entire criminal justice apparatus,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Officers Timothy Reilly \u201920 and Christopher Finn \u201918 and Sergeant Michael Thormann \u201908
\nRamsey New Jersey Police Department<\/h2>\n
\"Officer
Officer Timothy Reilly \u201920, Officer Christopher Finn \u201918, and Sergeant Michael Thormann \u201908 Ramsey (New Jersey) Police Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thormann, Finn, and Reilly say TV cop shows get one thing right: the camaraderie among officers. \u201cI look forward to shifts,\u201d says Reilly. \u201cWe are friends for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Happenstance brought this band of TCNJ brothers together on the same municipal police force. All three were athletes at TCNJ \u2014 Thormann and Finn played football, while Reilly was on the track and field team. \u201cHaving this TCNJ bond,\u201d says Thormann, who supervises Finn and Reilly, \u201cmeans I know these guys are smart cops.\u201d<\/p>\n

As patrol officers, Finn and Reilly say they respond to their share of non-violent routine calls but may also respond to more serious concerns, like domestic violence. And, although both say they don\u2019t watch many police shows, Finn does enjoy On Patrol: Live, in which camera crews go on police ride-alongs, because the show allows him to see how departments around the country operate.<\/p>\n

What do shows get most wrong? The paperwork. Or rather, the lack of it seen on screen. \u201cThat\u2019s the biggest shock to new officers,\u201d Thormann says. \u201cWhen I see a car chase or an arrest on TV, I just think, \u2018That\u2019s a lot of report writing.\u2019 Also, there\u2019s no need to shout the Miranda warning \u2014 but it makes for good TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

MICHAEL MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a false perception that the Miranda warning, which informs detainees of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney, must be read in the course of making an arrest. In fact, police officers need only read Miranda rights before questioning a detainee.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Captain
Captain Frank Robina \u201901 New Jersey State Police<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Captain Frank Robina \u201901
\nNew Jersey State Police<\/h2>\n

In his work as a state police detective, Robina learned firsthand that not all crimes are solved as quickly as depicted on television. One cold case that Robina helped investigate ended in 2022 with the identification of a 17-year-old girl (whose body had been found in a cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey, 40 years earlier) and the arrest of her suspected killer. The state police solved that case, which was featured on the television shows Missing and America\u2019s Most Wanted, with the aid of genetic genealogy. In fact, Robina says, the technology now used in investigative cases, especially long-cold cases, represents a major change he\u2019s seen in detective work during his 23 years with the state police.<\/p>\n

The son of a Paterson, New Jersey police officer, Robina entered the state police academy a month after graduating from TCNJ. In his wide-ranging career, he\u2019s patrolled Interstate 80 and the byways of rural Sussex County. He spent 12 years as a detective in the Major Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Bureau, investigating murders and the use of fatal force by police officers. He was ultimately promoted to Captain and oversaw units investigating major crimes and cold cases, as well as tracking fugitives and missing persons. \u201cThere is a lot to learn,\u201d he says of detective work. \u201cIt\u2019s like putting pieces of the puzzle together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Robina is the executive officer of the newly formed Port Security Section, which enhances the security mission at the New Jersey ports of Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark. He has high praise for his state police colleagues. \u201cWe want to make a positive impact in the community and embody our core principles of honor, duty, and fidelity.\u201d<\/p>\n

MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

In television shows, violent offenses such as murder and sexual assault are typically solved within an episode. But most crimes are not even reported, and for those that are, many go unsolved. Several factors can influence the solvability of a case, including whether witnesses were present and how credible they are; what the weather conditions were; whether security camera footage is available; and what physical evidence (such as fingerprints, hair, clothing, and blood) has been collected.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Officer
Officer Ryan Parker \u201919 and Officer Joseph Martorano \u201921 United States Capitol Police<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ryan Parker \u201919 and Joseph Martorano \u201921
\nUnited States Capitol Police Officers<\/h2>\n

On most days, Parker works in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives, inside the U.S. Capitol, keeping lawmakers and their staff safe and helping members of the public navigate the building. \u201cWhat I love about my job is the sense of mission,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a job that brings me a lot of satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

On January 6, 2021, Parker was inside the Capitol when hundreds of protesters entered the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Television cameras broadcasted the scenes to millions of viewers across the country and showed the Capitol Police officers being attacked in the melee. \u201cYou go through six-and-a-half months of training to try to prepare yourself for possible situations you encounter day to day,\u201d Parker says. \u201cBut a situation like that is beyond what your training has called for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker, the son of a police officer, downplays his role on that day \u2014 \u201cI played the part I was supposed to play\u201d \u2014 but he remembers the aftermath. He saw his colleagues grapple with what had transpired. Some resigned. \u201cExperiencing that \u2014 it\u2019s tough,\u201d Parker says.<\/p>\n

Among Parker\u2019s current colleagues is Martorano, who was still a TCNJ senior when the January 6 riot unfolded. While he was troubled by the events of that day, he says, \u201cI was not going to let January 6 interfere with my ultimate goal.\u201d He entered a federal law enforcement academy in August 2021, three months after graduating from TCNJ. Now he patrols the grounds outside the Capitol, frequently interacting with tourists visiting Washington, D.C. for the f irst time. Mindful of the scrutiny that law enforcement faces today, Martorano says he makes a conscious effort to treat the public with respect. \u201cThat\u2019s my way of improving the public perception,\u201d he says. \u201cYou show them respect, and they\u2019re going to show that respect right back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

We seldom see police in television dramas involved in political matters, but throughout American history, police have played a role during times of social unrest.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Lieutenant
Lieutenant Steve Troyano \u201998 Arlington County (Virginia) Police Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lieutenant Steve Troyano \u201998
\nArlington County Police Department<\/h2>\n

In his 23 years in the Arlington County (Virginia) Police Department, Troyano has seen it all. He directed traffic after a jetliner hit the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and was called to serve during a series of sniper killings in and around Washington, D.C. in October 2002. And as supervisor in
\nthe Civil Disturbance Unit, he was part of one of the first mutual aid teams to arrive at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
\nBut Troyano would like to be remembered for one particular story: He delivered a baby in the back seat of a car. \u201cI studied law and criminal justice at TCNJ and got a master\u2019s degree in forensic science from George Washington University, but there are some things you are never prepared for,\u201d he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Troyano chose law enforcement due to his desire to make a difference in his community. His work has grown more challenging since 2014, when tensions between police and residents of Ferguson, Missouri, erupted following the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man. Over the next decade, similar scenarios would play out in communities across the nation, often fueled by the preponderance of social media. \u201cOne of the hardest things is that my relationship with my community can be impacted by someone making a poor decision elsewhere,\u201d says Troyano. \u201cThe police\u2013community relationship is the most effective tool we have. We need to invest our efforts in the next generation of officers to keep building those bridges with our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to address the sort of police wrongdoing we see reported because it can erode public confidence and hinder the ability of police to keep communities safe. When the legitimacy of police is in question, when it no longer exists, you no longer have community support. How can police officers be effective in fighting crime when the community does not trust them?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Sergeant
Sergeant Caitlin Hurley \u201910 Ewing Police Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sergeant Caitlin Hurley \u201910
\nEwing Police Department<\/h2>\n

For Hurley, law enforcement is a family affair: Both her parents, three uncles, and a cousin were state troopers. Her husband is currently in the state police, and her sister is a municipal police officer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise, then, that when Hurley was growing up, she saw police as the good guys. Today, she realizes that\u2019s not always the case or the public perception, and that understanding has guided her own work as a police officer. Hurley started as a patrol officer, responding to all manner of calls. \u201cPeople say being a woman officer must be hard,\u201d says Hurley, one of just a handful of women on Ewing\u2019s 70-officer police force. \u201cNo matter whether you\u2019re a female or a male, I think this job isn\u2019t for everyone. It\u2019s very demanding. You see things that most people don\u2019t see.\u201d Hurley says she tries to treat people she encounters on the job as she would like her own family to be treated.<\/p>\n

Last year, Hurley was transferred to the department\u2019s Community Relations Unit, which allows her to interact with the community in a variety of ways. She spends time in local schools teaching children how to stay safe in public. She\u2019s supervised winter coat drives, and, in Ewing schools, she\u2019s taken part in the D.A.R.E. program, teaching students how to stay away from illegal drugs.<\/p>\n

More recently, she\u2019s helped organize the department\u2019s new Citizens Academy, which is intended to form positive partnerships between the department and the public. Anyone 18 years and over can apply to join the academy, which provides 24 hours of classroom instruction about all aspects of the Ewing Police Department. \u201cThis is the good side of policing,\u201d Hurley says of the Community Relations Unit. \u201cWe get to make people smile. I\u2019m \u2018Sergeant Cait,\u2019 as opposed to \u2018Sergeant Hurley.\u2019 I get lots of high fives and hugs.\u201d<\/p>\n

MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

Television almost invariably portrays big-city police departments. In reality, nearly half of municipal police agencies employ no more than 10 officers.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Officer
Officer Jorge Fallas \u201923, Officer Andrew Iannaccone \u201923, and Lieutenant Matthew Mastrosimone \u201902, TCNJ Police Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Officers Jorge Fallas \u201923 and Andrew Iannaccone \u201923 and Lieutenant Matthew Mastrosimone \u201902
\nTCNJ Police Department<\/h2>\n

One of Mastrosimone\u2019s favorite parts of his job as a TCNJ police officer is showing first-year students that not all cops are the tough-as-nails types so often portrayed on television. \u201cThe public doesn\u2019t realize the empathy of law enforcement,\u201d he says. \u201cWe come across as very straight and narrow and don\u2019t want to show emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

But being on a college campus, he says, much of his job is creating a safe community. \u201cWe have a great age group, the 18- to 22-year-old demographic, and the majority have never had any kind of law enforcement interaction,\u201d Mastrosimone says. \u201cFor us to be able to show them that interaction in a positive way \u2014 to show them the human side, and laugh with them \u2014 is priceless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mastrosimone joined the campus police after graduating 22 years ago, and today, he\u2019s one of three TCNJ graduates on the force. Iannaccone started on the job his senior year; today, he\u2019s also an MBA candidate at TCNJ. Fallas, who sat next to Iannaccone at their TCNJ graduation
\nceremony, started on the force earlier this year. \u201cI\u2019ve always had people supporting me, almost like guardian angels by my side,\u201d Fallas says. \u201cHonestly, I just wanted to do that for other people. Whatever the situation may be, I would like to be there for someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

MITCHELL SAYS:<\/h2>\n

Some studies find more than 70% of police work consists of unassigned time in which officers are not actively responding to calls for service.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photos by <\/span>Matthew Aaron Callahan<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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