BoldlyU Magazine Issue 5 | Page 22

FEATURED K-9 Officer Mike Parsons I’m 39, married, and have four kids. I’ve been a police officer for 15 years and have worked for the Columbia Police Department for 19 and a half years. I got into police work because my friend in high school was going into policing and it sounded fun. My friend’s dad was a police officer, and my friend always had cool stories about what his dad had done the night before. I didn’t do it for the power, the uniform, or the pay. I’m a regular guy with a family to take care of. I’m not made of stone, and I have feelings. I hate it when I see bad cops on TV doing the wrong thing. It makes the world think we’re all bad and we’re not. We’re just ordinary people trying to help our communities by doing what we think is right, not emotionless robots who are programmed to ruin your day when you speed, beat someone, or anything in between. Come to us for help, and we’ll do our best. Don’t be afraid or mad at us for something you saw on Facebook or YouTube because we’re just like you, trying to get by. 22 March 2017