Careerpanel

VA Police Department Eat and Meet Event

Events Local News News

Grace Kinsman, staff writer

Careerpanel
PVCC students and faculty attending the Eat and Meet career panel. Photography by Grace Kinsman

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 12-12:45 p.m., the Bolick Student center was the place to be for the Eat and Meet Career Information Series presentation. Three representatives from Virginia’s police department sat down to be interviewed in front of a curious audience made of PVCC students and faculty.

Each panelist spoke on behalf of a different part of Virginia’s Police Department. Louisa Police Department’s Chief Ronnie Roberts traveled back to his previous stomping grounds, Charlottesville, to sit on this panel to educate young students. Brad Crews, a Virginia state trooper, brought his experience of 11 years to the panel. The Criminal Investigations Division City of Fairfax Police Department was represented by Captain Commander Craig Buckley.

Crime on television is exciting but Craig Buckley informed the audience that real-life crime is not at all the same. The major difference is the time it takes to solve a case. If a CSI team can solve a mass murder case in an hour broken up with commercials, why does it take our local police so long to do the same thing? Buckley explained one issue is lab tests, it takes days or weeks for lab results to actually come in.  Unlike television shows our local and state departments do not have unlimited staff, which is another big reason that the cases take longer to crack.

An audience member asked, “What is one thing you love about your job, and what is one thing you wish you could change?” Roberts was quick to explain his favorite part of his job is improving someone’s quality of life. The other men agreed with this comment, but Buckley also shared he wishes he could spend more time with his family during previous years.

Overall, these three men were informative to anyone interested in joining the police force or anyone who would like to know more about the men who protect them every day. They put a lot of work into their jobs but they all seem to believe it is worth it.

One point stressed multiple times was togetherness. Virginia’s officers want to work closely with citizens to make everything run smoother. Roberts said; “We are all in this together, I can’t do this without your help.”