Ask Wednesday: Officer Rodney Ward, Jr. on police work

A privilege and an honor

Edited by Morris Dean

The Police Department of the City of Mebane, North Carolina, practices “community-oriented policing” (COP) for the citizens in its jurisdiction. Officers are assigned to be the COP coordinator for particular communities. I live in the Collington Farms development and our coordinator is Officer Rodney Ward, Jr. Besides patrolling our neighborhood regularly and getting to know its residents, Officer Ward helped us set up our Community Watch network and has attended every one of our Community Watch Block Captains meetings.
    We are very grateful that he was willing to take the time to be interviewed. [Our questions are in italics.]

First off, Officer Ward, please explain to us what community-oriented policing is. How is it working? How have communities responded? What difference has it made?
    Community-oriented policing is about the police department interacting with the citizens and having the community help make our community a better, safer place. So far the community has responded well to the program. We as a police department have established bonds with different citizens throughout the community. I feel that it has brought the police department and the community we serve closer together.

My own local community in Mebane is quite diverse racially, gay couples, young families with children and older, retired couples, and to some extent that’s true of Mebane generally. In what ways are Mebane police officers trained to deal with a diverse community?
    As police officers we do not see race, sexual preference, or age as a defining characteristic of anyone that we encounter. The decisions we make to charge or arrest someone are made solely on the facts and evidence we have for each incident. We undergo training that covers how to handle different situations such as dealing with people with disorders to people that are not in their right frame of mind.

A police officer in Durham told me that it’s common practice for officers to live in another town from the one they work in, so as to make it more difficult to be retaliated against. What do you think of that practice? Do your fellow officers on the Mebane force generally live outside Mebane?
    I personally live outside of Mebane, but it is not because of the fear of being retaliated against. I choose to live outside of Mebane because I am closer to my family and it gives me a break away from the city I work in. About half of the officers in Mebane live in Mebane.

What advice do you have for homeowners who keep a gun in the house for protection?
    I feel having a gun in your home for protection is not a bad idea, however if you own a gun, you should know the ins and outs of your weapon. You should know how to take it apart and clean it, you should know how to deal with and fix any malfunction of the weapon. You also need to know your state and federal laws pertaining to gun ownership, such as keeping it out of reach of children, knowing when you are justified in using your weapon in defending yourself, and keeping up with the paperwork involved with owning a gun.

What make and model is your weapon?
    My everyday duty weapon is a Glock 23, 40 caliber. My Special Response Team rifle is a Bushmaster AR15, a 223 caliber rifle.

What advice do you have for citizens who carry a concealed firearm, or who keep one in their car?
    Any citizen that carries a concealed weapon is required to have a carry-concealed permit. To obtain a carry-concealed permit, applicants must attend a concealed-carry class that covers laws pertaining to carrying a concealed weapon. Any person who attends this class must also qualify on a range with a handgun. If you keep a firearm in your car, whether you have a concealed-carry permit or not, when approached by law enforcement you should make them aware that you are carrying a concealed weapon and keep your hands visible at all times. I would also recommend to anyone carrying a firearm in their vehicle to never leave it in an unattended or unlocked vehicle due to the possibility of a break-in.

What would you advise a Community Watch program when it comes to doing stakeouts to try to find out who is responsible for recent break-ins or vandalism is their neighborhood?
    I don’t think citizens performing stakeouts would be a good idea. Even if we are dealing with juveniles, which may not seem dangerous, but you never know. I feel it puts citizens at unnecessary risk. Of course if residents happen to observe any criminal activity while working outside or walking around their neighborhood they should immediately notify the police department. But doing a “stakeout” could put someone in a situation that could have a negative outcome. Case in point the George Zimmerman incident.

I’ve noticed that marked patrol cars these days (and not just in Mebane) seem to have a lot of high-tech gear—computer keyboard, video equipment...what else? How do you find dealing with all of that? Is it always helpful, or does it sometimes get in the way?
    Police vehicles are equipped with a wide variety of tools, such as an in-car camera, a computer, electronics for the lights and sirens, and some even have speed control devices (radar units). Officers must have the ability to multitask at all times. This ability makes working with all these items while driving easier. I personally do not have a hard time multitasking while on duty. Throughout law enforcement history our in-car cameras have proven to be one of our most valuable assets. In-car cameras have been used as proof and evidence in numerous lawsuits and incidents like police shootings, DWIs, and in defense of wrongfully accused officers.

Patrol cars that I see almost always have only one person aboard. Under what circumstances would there be a second officer?
    Generally the only time there would be two officers on patrol in the same vehicle is when we have a new officer in field training. Field training is when a brand new officer spends 16 weeks with an experience patrol officer who is also certified to be a field training officer.

Do you believe high-speed chases are worth the risk they pose for citizens? Under what circumstances would you (or would you not) engage in such a chase?
    The pursuing officer must take into account the totality of the circumstances involved and make a decision regarding the risk to the public and to themselves regarding vehicle chases. Most police departments have a chase policy that requires that the crime meet certain criteria before an officer is allowed to chase a vehicle. I can’t state in what instances a chase is justified, because every situation is different.

How did you get into police work? How old were you?
    I was 25 years old when I started work as a police officer in Mebane. I joined in September of 2010. I became interested in police work after speaking with a Graham officer at a car event I was attending.

If you weren’t a policeman, what line of work would you want to do?
    If I were not a police officer I would probably work for and eventually run my father’s construction company, but if I had my choice I would want to be somehow involved with racing.

I think people understand that policing is a dangerous line of work. How do you deal with that? How does your police training deal with it? Please tell us about the most dangerous situation that you have personally encountered so far.
    I approach every situation with caution and rely on the training that has been provided for me. We are constantly training and evolving as police officers. Each type of training we undergo helps prepare us for the unexpected. One dangerous situation that comes to mind is a night we were responding to an armed robbery involving a knife. This happened while I was still in field training with Mebane. The suspect fled on foot into the woods. When we arrived we began to search the area for him and found him hiding under the cover of trees. After a short standoff he surrendered and we were able to apprehend him.

Any final thing you’d like to say, something about your philosophy of policing, or your philosophy of life? We’d like to hear it. Because you put your life on the line for us, we look up to you.
    In closing I would like to say that I love being a police officer, especially in Mebane. In this career so far I have met extraordinary people and done extraordinary things. Being a police officer could potentially open a lot of doors for someone with the right determination and drive. Mebane is a great city to work for. This city takes care of its public servants better than most. I feel privileged and honored to be a part of this city and look forward to a bright future here.
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Copyright © 2014 by Morris Dean

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