Interview Report

Communications 1010
To: Professor Paul
From: Eric Martinez
CC: Chris Bertram
Date: 12/6/16
Re: Interview for Law enforcement

Introduct This was the first time I have interviewed someone that has
ion: been in my career path. I interviewed my professor from
Criminal Law 1330, he was a police officer for 25 years on
the job, Chris decided to become a police officer because he
was going to be the 4th generation in law enforcement and
just like any other cop he wanted to make a good difference
to the community in Utah.
Education Requirements
All that is required to be a police officer is a high school diploma, but
any type of degree will help me as a police officer have more wisdom
and help me advance in state or local law enforcement. Having a
Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice will help.
Salary
Starting salary for a police officer starts around 35,000- 45,000$
annually, throughout the career as a law enforcement officer you can
get raises all the way up to 60,000-70,000$ annually if youre great at
the job.
Things an officer Should Know When They Start Out First Year
Must have great communication skills, because youre always going to
talk with a lot of individuals every day while on the job. A police officer
must know when to take appropriate action in certain situations
because if you do not act fast enough someone may get hurt or die
including the officer.

Opportunities to Move Up
 There are several agencies that offer more opportunities than others,
Chris Bertram mentioned that bigger agencies were the ones that offer
more jobs to move up, than smaller agencies.
Requirements to Become a Police Officer
The person applying to become a police officer must not have a felony
from the past, must be 21 years old to apply, the individual must have
minimal drug use or even none to apply certain agencies have a time
limit on when the individual took the substance, to pick out officers the
candidates must take a psychological test, or a polygraph test.
Pension
Chris Bertrams pension was 60% of his salary after being in law
enforcement for 25 years. Today the pension for a police officer that
serves 25 years is only 35%.
What Would You Have Done Differently
Chris wished he recognized mental illness when he first started out,
because several of the individuals he dealt with were individuals who
were violent and mentally ill. Chris used excessive force to book them
in jail. Chris stated that he would have handled the situations a little
more different. Just as every police officer starts out, Chris stated that
he wishes he wasnt as aggressive starting out but he learned this
through the process of being a police officer.
How I did as an Interviewee
I was professional about the interview, started out with the questions I
wanted to know was confident in asking them, and Chris was
comfortable the whole time I was asking him. I did follow up questions
after he answered the ones I wanted to hear, it was an open
conversation the whole time.
Did it Change My Mind on My Career Path?
No, it did not change my mind, because this has been something I
have always wanted to do ever since I was a little boy in elementary
school. After conducting this interview with my professor, it has just
strengthened on why I am going to do this. I am going to make a good
impact on my community around Utah. I am willing to take the risk of
harm because I want to save and change lives as a law enforcement
officer.