PAX Centurion - March / April 2015

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • March/April 2015 • Page 37 I t was about 10 years to the day, while on foot patrol in the Lenox Street Housing Development that I received a call to go into the Station (D-4) and speak with CaptainWallace. When I entered into his office, I was asked if I would uke a job in the Community Service Office. I began to laugh because at the time, all I knew about was answering radio calls and chasing bad guys. He said, I would be perfect for the job and that it consisted of me working with the community. I told him I had to sleep on it. I said to myself, community service? Really! Handing out crayons and coloring books? No more radio calls? But what if I did it a little different? I really did love people, especially the kids. So, I agreed. Now10 years later, I couldn’t imagine anything else. This job allows me to see the good side of people. The relationships you build last a lifetime. Being a representative to all the hard working officers on this department is an honor. I’ve always believed that police were misunderstood and seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes has been life altering. Themen and women who work in the gang units, drug units and fugitive units are so unique in their abilities. At times, I envied them. That maybe I needed to find another path. And I did. Community policing was my calling. When I got the chance to see the work that officers like Cynthia Brewington (program for young girls), Jose Ruiz (baseball and soft- ball), Danny Long (boxing) and Kenny Grubbs (basketball) and a cast of other great CSO’s were doing, it made me realized that I too could make a difference. It hasn’t always been easy at times; because its a job that consisted of making people believe in you, when at times they didn’t believe in themselves. There were there times that you would lose one of these kids to the streets, ultimately to jail or death. That sense of failurewould creep into my mind and often I would internalize everything I couldn’t do, not the good that I was doing. But like everyone who puts on a Boston Police badge, you march forward. The support frommy peers, family and especially the commu- nity makes it worth it every day to go out there and make a difference. So, today iI still miss radio calls, but I have a bigger calling. I was able with help of some great people to open a small youth center for the children of the Lenox Street Development. Hope this center provides these underprivileged children an opportunity to grow and compete in the world. The pride I have being a Community Service Officer for the Boston PoliceDepartment goes above and beyondwhat I can put on paper. I’ve often said that if you do one good thing everyday while in this uniform, you’d be remembered as a good police officer. Being in this position has made that a lot easier task. Sowhether talking to a kid about school, assisting an elderly person or whatever it may be, being a Community Service Officer has been a great experience. What it’s like being a Community Service Officer in D-4 By Jorge Dias, D-4 Community Service Officer