Right before Christmas 37 cadets will
graduate from the San Antonio Police Academy.
They hit the street upholding
the high standard of being a police officer
and trying to improve their experience
with people of color in our segment.
Together, we rise.
We shine the light on issues
that impact our community,
hoping we can get Better Together tonight,
Eyewitness News reporter Marvin
Hurst talks with four cadets.
On their graduation stage about serving,
protecting and building relationships. Open.
Of course it's going to be an
overwhelming feeling kind of deer in
the headlights. Excited and nervous?
'cause now you're bout to hit the streets.
Cadet, Jonathan Kavanaugh.
I used to be a teacher since
2011. I understand people and struggle
and where people are coming from,
the times I've had interaction with people
who are extremely affluent and then both,
you know the complete opposite
end of the spectrum.
You know, not knowing where their
next meal is coming from.
I want to help change that perception
of law enforcement is being if
it is being in a negative light.
You know look oh hey,
here he's here to help us.
What's going on?
If I were to take this
uniform off and walk around,
I'd look just like everybody else.
So I think the police and the
community should be at the same level.
I think the reform starts with everybody.
I am Cadet Debbie hard when I was a kid.
I used to watch cops all the time,
so that's how I thought it would be.
It is as I got older and
then coming to the Academy.
It's nothing like that show you have
to have in the back of your head.
Why did I join?
What are you here for?
My whole reason for coming was my kids.
You know they're the future I,
I know they watch the news and they see.
Uh. Our officers are portrayed,
but then they see the good side also,
but if they see their mother.
As someone.
In that line of duty.
I know they'll have more
respect for authority,
not that they don't now.
I mean the San Antonio Police
Department badge. I mean,
that's exciting, that's.
With all my heart is my kids
seeing me as an officer?
That's exciting that actually like.
Means a lot.
I'm cadet Xavier Hutchinson.
Most of this job is communication
with people you encounter.
A lot of people, so the way you come off,
that's how they're going to view it.
Less somebody's brother,
sister, grandmother, so.
Whether I'm on camera or not,
it's going to always be
a good approach for me.
I did have a bad situation where
you know it kinda looked at police
officers in a bad way or situation
that happened with me was in 9th grade.
I had a bottle vehicle home.
I had a false tags on it to
Mercedes-Benz which I didn't know about.
I had no drivers license and insurance.
It was the way he just approached
me the way he came off.
He was very rude,
didn't respect me and when his
partners got there he just.
Randomly pulled me out the
car then went to the ground,
handcuffed me and then explain to me
why I was being placed under arrest.
Just growing up in a rough neighborhood.
I know how things are so.
There's no way I would degrade
somebody like that and put
him in a situation like that.
I'm cadet Tristan spanski.
My dad has been on the Police
Department since before I was born,
so I've kind of grown up around the
lifestyle even in today's climate.
I know this is exactly where I want to be.
I've been pulled over before in a different
county and the officer that I dealt
with was not Mr Friendly, so it did.
Kind of affect me there,
but coming home to a great officer
and being around all of his friends
and knowing other officers that
are all great on this department.
Makes me, you know,
not have a total bias towards the profession.
I just want to get out there and
be able to finally start building a
relationship with whoever I'm going to.
The area that I'm going to be patrolling.
I'm Lieutenant Matthew Parkinson with the
applicant processing recruiting unit.
When you come a police officer,
you do see a different side of life.
Our philosophy.
Of trying to get people on and give
people a chance that's changed.
We can find every flaw we can
dig until we find a skeleton.
Marvin, how far do we go?
The people who want to be police
officers I give them credit in this
in this day and age I give them
a little more credit than back
when I took the test with 3000
applicants sitting next to me.
When I see a guy not doing
his job that reflects me too.
If he's doing something with with
bad intentions or ill intentions
or with with a bad heart that
reflects me too and our job mistakes
can cost lives and that's that's,
you know,
that's that's what goes around right now.
And society is when officers make mistakes.
It just so happens that.
Somebody lost their life or somebody
got hurt at the hands of a police
officer were not that guy that put
their knee on somebody and wants him to die.
I've never.
I've never woke up and said man
go kill somebody today.
I hope and pray that we do
select the best that we can.
For more on this series in this
conversation, go to kens5.com/rise.