Winter 2004 Edition     

Officer Sara Toro   Police Officer Sara Toro started on the force in July 2001.  Since then, she's had to deal with numerous cases of shoplifting, drugs, assaults, and DWI.  In April, she faced the murder of Officer Collura --  her friend and colleague.  Looking back after three years, she says it's been exciting, challenging, and rewarding.  In this issue, she shares her thoughts with Fair Lawn News.    First Time on Duty I can remember my first day out in field training, when it felt like there was such a vast amount to learn and so little that was familiar to my prior experiences. With the assistance and acceptance of the other officers, I came to learn how to work with a shift, respond to calls, and successfully complete paperwork which was required far more often than I had anticipated.      This Past Year The last year has been a rough one, taking into account the tragic circumstances we all had to face. The loss of a coworker and friend is not one that is easy to accept or work through, especially when it came in such a devastating way.    How does police work compare with TV police shows? How do you compare a real life situation, real people and their issues, to a dialogued entertainment looking at fast paced action and excitement? Television can take an hour long block -- Situations occur and they find resolution. Real life isn't always as cut and dry or as easy to work through. As far as entertainment goes, I think the television show may catch your attention quicker, but you'll never find challenge in watching, or rewards in helping, like you can experience actually dealing with people and their true circumstances.    How were your expectations different than reality?     I cannot say that my expectations of what were to be, and the job itself match up, but I am content with what I do on a daily basis and it is rewarding to see that you can affect someone's day or even life when you respond to and assist them with their needs. Far too often when someone requests for the police to come to their residence or business it is because of a difficulty or setback rather than a friendly interaction.   My expectations of the job were probably incorrect in the assumption that there would be a medium to my daily activities. Realistically, this changes on a day-by -day basis. There are shifts, dependent on which hours you are scheduled to work, in which you receive very few calls, then others in which you run from call to call without a break. It can be difficult to adjust to such a schedule and difficult to expect what your shift will hold. Law enforcement is one of few careers in which you really need to be at 100% at all times. You can't show up to work with your personal problems weighing on you or overtired and not ready to react, because it could be that day that you need to rely on your training and instinct in a serious situation.   What do you find the most difficult part of being a police officer?  Any job which places you as the first responder in circumstances that do not end in a positive way can be difficult. In a matter of seconds, you can be dispatched to a fatal motor vehicle accident, a CPR call, or a domestic violence incident and you are required to react. Many of these incidents end in injury or death and you need to be the source of resolution and authority throughout that time.    Personally, I think that any call involving a child in distress is always more difficult to accept and understand. It can also be challenging to deal with the family members of the victim, who are also suffering, when something happens to another member of their family.    I think that everyone who enters this field understands the risks at hand and the possibilities that exist. It is through our ongoing training and continual efforts to learn from existing cases and past incidents that we are able to go to work each day and feel comfortable that we will go home each night. I think it is important to remember that it is our job to serve and protect the public but overall we also need to protect ourselves. No one comes to work thinking that they will not return home that night, and although there are times when things happen that our beyond anyone's control, it is imperative to value the training that is available and to make it a part of your routine, because this is what will allow you to get through such confrontations.    How did you become interested in law enforcement? I cannot say exactly what prompted my decision to become a police officer. I have always known that I wanted to work in a field that served the public and allowed you to assist people in need. Most people who enter this field have a desire to help others and I think that this was the basis for my decision. Other than that, I knew that I did not want to sit behind a desk or have the same daily routine. In this field, there is something new everyday, and you continually face challenges and new experiences.    Why did you choose to work in Fair Lawn ? When I looked at municipalities to work in, I was interested in Fair Lawn because I grew up here and attended Fair Lawn Public Schools. I thought it would be interesting and rewarding to give back to the community which I was raised in.      What do you think Fair Lawn residents can do to make our community a safer place? Residents need to understand more about their community, the problems we face, and the advantages we have. It is important for all residents to stay involved, not only in the police department, but overall in town news. This way they can see the challenges we are facing and what important matters are to become involved in. It is all too often that resident's complain about matters they feel go unresolved when they fail to realize or see the other more significant problems that were being dealt with.    If everyone took the time to view the accomplishments and efforts that the police department was focusing on (you can view our webpage at www.fairlawnpd.com and check our arrest book) then the smaller issues may not seem as critical or may be worked through when resources are available. It is through working together as a community that we can achieve greater goals. It is through community understanding that we can assist and work together in doing so.    Do you think people treat police women different from police men?  I think that anyone acting in an official capacity, that treats a member of the public with respect, will be respected. I do not think that this is based on gender or any other such factors. There will always be people who challenge law enforcement for their own personal reasons, and once again, they will do this based on the uniform and not the person underneath it.    In some instances, such as domestic circumstances, it can be contended that female victims may feel more comfortable with female officers. In these cases it is helpful to have them available to assist the victim. We want all victims to feel as comfortable and trusting with the officer as possible, and being a victim they are already stressed and should be accommodated to.     Is there a lot of boring time, when you are just waiting doing nothing? There are days when the radio remains quiet for longer period of time than others, but there are numerous ways officers can be proactive and focus upon areas where problems could occur, in order to minimize their occurrences. Officers check businesses and public buildings throughout town to maintain their security, as well as patrol various streets and sections to check the welfare of the residents and surroundings. There is also the opportunity to enforce motor vehicle violations, which occur on a frequent basis and need attention as well.      What do you think was the most important aspect of your training? It is difficult to narrow down the one most important portion of training, but if I had to, I would say that it is being aware of your surroundings at all times. It is important not to become complacent and begin to categorize things into "routine." In this line of work there are no routine motor vehicle stops, no routine alarm calls, etc. With that in mind, you need to keep your eyes and ears open and pay attention to what is occurring around you on a constant basis.