Despite widely publicized risks and controversies surrounding police work, some people continue to train for a career in law enforcement. At Virginia Commonwealth University, one instructor offers surprising advice that stems from his own experience as a victim.
Chernoh Wurie decided to become a police officer when he was a kid – living in Sierra Leone at a time of civil war.
“Sierra Leone has a lot of resources," he explains. "Diamonds are one of them, so the diamonds got into the wrong hands of the wrong folks, and they started trading them for arms.”
One day, when he was 16, a group of rebels ransacked his home and terrorized his family.
“They were armed with AK-47’s, and they walked into the house, and they demanded money, demanded things,” Wurie recalls.
Like his prized Nintendo system and his mother’s wedding ring.
“She had her hands up, so they saw the gold ring on her hand, and they literally forced it off her hand.”
He sat there feeling helpless – unable to protect his mom and bereft of his Ninetendo. That’s when Wurie vowed to become a cop. His father worked for the government in Sierra Leone, so he wasn’t free to leave, but Wurie, his mother and two brothers headed for a new home in Virginia. Here he would graduate from high school, get a college degree and spend ten years working for the police department in Prince William County. He would also replace his lost Nintendo.
“As soon as I started working here and I started making money I bought myself one,” he says with a smile.
He loved law enforcement – so much that at night he earned a masters and PhD in public administration – then accepted teaching jobs at George Mason and VCU. He knows many of his brothers in blue are accused of brutality against people of color, but he advises citizens to stay calm and follow orders if they’re stopped by police.
“You know there are bad cops out there. There are corrupt cops out there. There are racial stereotype cops out there. I’m not denying that fact, so it’s for you to take care of yourself, and follow all leads, and commands -- comply, comply, comply. That’s it. If you get wronged out there, you need to go through proper channels and file a complaint.”
And as he trains a new generation of policemen, he urges them to keep an open mind and treat people with respect. Wurie shares the story of a stake-out at a parking lot recently visited by thieves. At the time, the Honda Civic was a common target, so when he saw several young black men speeding through the lot in a Civic, he assumed they had stolen the car. He turned on his siren and lights, gave chase and stopped them, only to learn they were employees of Dulles Airport running late for work.
“I had one hand on my gun, and I was approaching the vehicle, because I’m thinking these kids are going to try to shoot me and get away, because they’re to stealing a car. I got really close, and the driver was shaking in the front seat. I got all his information, I checked them out. They were fine, and I said, ‘You’re doing the right thing. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m so sorry for stopping you. I’m so sorry for even thinking you were stealing this car. I can see why, in a split second a police officer would pull his gun out and engage that kid, but something told me this kid was a good kid. Get up to them and start talking to them before you make that judgment that they are bad folks.”
Wurie says about 70% of his students share his passion and commitment to protect the public. The other 30% are victims of what he calls the CSI effect. That’s why, as their teacher, he shares many of his experiences as a policeman doing a job which is more dangerous and difficult than it appears on TV – and also more rewarding. To prove the point, he’s published a book called Impact: A Compilation of Positive Police Encounters.