Who am I? - Part 3 - Do what you love.

My dad was born in Monroe in 1927. He started working for the Charlotte Police Department as a records clerk in 1945. When he turned 21 he became a police officer. He worked there throughout his 43 year career and retired in 1987 a Sergeant. After finishing his 43 year career and retiring he worked with the MCSO for another 12 years in recruiting new reserve deputies. Then he went to the Anson Co. Sheriff's Office to assist them with recruiting new deputies. They say police work gets in your blood. It definitely got into his. I guess I got that bug from him.

Set goals and do what you love. Makes sense to me.

I grew up around police and the police department but never really thought about getting into police work. Some time around 8th grade I developed a love for science. The other kids around me wanted to grow up to be Firemen or Policemen. I wanted to be a Doctor, a Scientist, maybe even a Marine Biologist. After graduating from East Mecklenburg High School in 1980, I went on to get an Associate in Arts Degree at Central Piedmont Community College and later an Associate in General Education also at CPCC. I spent a couple of semesters at UNCC studying Math, Computer Science, and Accounting. After completing an Internship with what was then the Mecklenburg County Police Department, I joined them in Jan 1984. After a couple of years of chasing speeders and fighting drunks, I found that this was not for me. I left the Mecklenburg Co Police to join the Charlotte Police as a Crime Scene Search Investigator in Oct 1986.

CSS Investigator / Forensic Scientist. There is that Scientist word again. Now I was in my element. Do what you love.

I became a Supervisor in CSS in 1989. The rest of the county police followed me a couple of years later when the two separate police agencies combined to become the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 1993. There you have it – Life is a adventure, Set goals for yourself, and do what you love.

What is a Shadow Catcher? I'll let the cat out of the bag on May 1st 2010. In the mean time don't forget to take my poll on "What is a Shadow Catcher?".