Federal Agency Anti-Drug Unit interview

Federal Agency Ant-Drug Unit
I recently sat down to interview a federal agent with the Ministry of Interior to talk about why someone becomes a police officer and what they hope to accomplish with this status in society. My interviewee came from a family line of law enforcement officers, so it was something that came naturally to him. He explained the nature of his job, why he feels it is his duty, and how his work affects him.
"I have seen a lot in my tenure," he says, with a passive expression on his face. "In my experience, it's the role of the parents. They set the boundaries for their children. In order to ensure that our children distance themselves from anything that could affect their nature, parents must be very hands on with the raising of their children."
A veteran of ten years, coming from a family background of law enforcement, he is driven by the view that his work helps to keep his family safe. "I have one of the highest driving offense capture rates, which helps to keep the streets safe," he notes, while citing that his family's history in the military and police made the transition to law enforcement a natural move for him. "I wanted to become police because I recognized the respect that people gave my family for being in that same position. I wanted that same respect."
"In this job, you do get a lot of recognition for what you do. You know that you help to keep your country safe, but that other people know this too is important," he tells me, taking a sip of his tea. I ask him what it takes to be police, since I'm thinking of friends who like the idea, but would make terrible cops. "I believe people to become officers must have a strong sense of justice, first of all, but also the ability to have emotional control. You have power; you cannot wield that power foolishly. I learned that watching my father and my uncles."
I understood his sense of responsibility as he explained it to me. I asked him about wasta. That was my responsibility. He had obviously expected the question, but still looked disgusted. "I'm against wasta," he said flatly. "I'm motivated by knowing that I'm protecting my family and my community. "An increasing number of cops are being led astray by bribery and this holds back our justice system. But for me, I'm against it. There might be a high level of personal risk in this job, but it's very fulfilling knowing that I benefit everybody in my community."
I came away from my discussion with the federal agent re-assured, really, that there are good people working in the justice system. We hear stories all the time about the wrong ones, but clearly we cannot paint all law enforcement with one brush – there are many good people out there working hard to bring honour to the profession and to make our communities safer.