Cpl. Joseph Robinson with students in LAHS Teacher Lori Thompson’s Sports Lit class. Courtesy/LAPS
By Emmitt Tibbitts
Los Alamos High School
Sports Lit Class Student
As part of my Sports Literature class, my group and I walked to the courthouse and interviewed Los Alamos Police Department (LAPD) Cpl. Joseph Robinson. Fittingly, we found out that one of his favorite things about being a police officer is getting to interact with the public.
Before becoming a police officer (right out of high school), Robinson worked as a mechanic for some time. Later, he moved to Los Angeles for about six years where he went through the process of becoming a police officer. According to him, one of the hardest parts of that process was having patience and waiting for paperwork to be approved. After his six years in Los Angeles, he moved to Los Alamos where he was hired by the Los Alamos Police Department. For him, this process was much easier as he had done most of his training in Los Angeles.
Some interesting details I learned from the interview were that Robinson does not have a college degree. During the conversation, he remarked that most of his education occurs “on the job”. A degree is not required to become a police officer; although some of his younger colleagues do have a college degree. Most of his continued learning occurs during training, and the rest just comes from experience being a police officer.
“(Being a police officer is a) unique way to impact lives in a positive way,” Robinson said.
This shows his love for being an officer and how he enjoys interacting with the public, which is his favorite part of the job. According to Robinson, the toughest part of being a police officer is trying to navigate the always changing landscape of the law. Laws are always updating, and it may be hard to handle these modifications. However, he recognizes that these reworkings of laws are necessary.
When asked if Robinson would want his kids to become police officers, he said, “No”, explaining it is a tough job and can be very challenging. Although Robinson added that “passion deserves support”.
Regardless of his feelings, he would support his kids if they became police officers. During the interview, I learned that being a police officer is hard, but it is very rewarding. You have opportunities to help and support the community, making the town a better place. I enjoyed doing this interview, and I thank Cpl. Robinson for taking his time with us.