A Biology major from Rutgers, Hari Arisetty started his career doing research at Pfizer. His quest for a job that is in the arena of public service motivated him to take civil service exams for pubic safety (fire and police). He scored high enough on one of the exams to be invited to the state police academy for training as a state trooper. He has since been on patrol (patrolling the roads and responding to 911 calls) since graduation from the academy in 2005. He talked to Lokvani about the journey and the joys of this career.
You seem to started your undergraduate career as a typical South
Asian would, with a major in Biology. What was your career goal at
that time?
Research, or medicine, was my plan while going through college. However, I started working right out of college, doing technical writing (I had a dual major in Biology and English). I really enjoyed the work and was being paid well, so I never pursued my original plan. The technical writing in turn segued into a career in technology companies, until I joined the State Police.
What motivated you to change jobs into a most unusual career for
South Asians of joining the police academy?
I don't think that joining the State Police was an unusual career move. It was definitely the right move for me. After close to a decade in technology, I came to the realization that I wanted to make a bigger change in the world. After of couple of months of brainstorming, I decided that a career in public safety (either working as a firefighter or in law enforcement) was the way for me.
It's understandable why there are 'typical' careers, as children are likely to follow their parent's footsteps. A search for opportunities, immigration laws, and initial costs mean that the vast majority of first generation South Asians that come to the US are in the technical and medical fields. My family is not different - my father came to the USA to get a master's degree in engineering and worked in IT for the rest of his career. I worked for technology companies out of college as well. I'd suggest that high school and college students pursue careers that fit their strengths, even if it means forging their own path.
How did your parents react to this decision?
I was older than the average recruit when I entered the academy. I was 31 and had a family of my own (my daughter was just 18 months old, when I entered the academy!) So, my decision was already made when I told my parents about entering law enforcement. Their first reaction was that it was a dangerous job.
Policing does have times of danger. That's an unavoidable fact. But, what my parents did not know was that police officers are trained to deal with that danger as safely as possible. Most of the training in the 25 week State Police Academy was oriented towards doing the job as safely as possible. Advances in equipment, such as better ballistic vests (often called bulletproof vests, which is not an accurate term) help, too.
What percentage of the police force in your estimate would be South Asian?
The State Police Human Resources department informs me that there are four sworn officers of South Asian descent. Obviously, everyone benefits when the police department reflects the community. That's part of the reason I'm doing this interview, so more people will contemplate public safety careers.
What opportunities have you enjoyed the most in your career? What have been the greatest challenge?
One of the things I enjoy most about my job is that every day is different. In terms of opportunities, the most rewarding is the chance to respond when someone needs help. For example, responding to a serious car crash and the first words I hear from a person that is injured is "Thank God you're here."
The biggest challenge in my career actually happened before I became a state Trooper. The training for the state police occurs at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. It's a paramilitary life in academy (we were able to go home for weekends only), where one learns to operate in a stressful environment. Confidence in my abilities helped me make it though the academy, although I'll admit that I had times of doubt: the academy is tough!
Would you encourage South Asians to pursue a career in the Police
force? What are the major driving forces that inspires your service?
For the right person, law enforcement is a great career. It's a highly visible job where the work has immediate results. It's vitally important work. The material aspects: pay, benefits, and job security are good.
There are a range of personalities and people that make good police officers and Troopers. Some commonalities, though, are being physically fit, being able to operate under stressful situations, and having a fair amount of common sense.
What advice would you have for someone who may be considering a
future career in the police force ?
Law enforcement is a very competitive career in Massachusetts and New England. That's not a surprise - in answer to your previous question, I listed just some of the reasons it's such a great job. Just how competitive may come as a surprise: typically, you have to score in the top two or three percent on the civil service exam.
All large police departments in the Northeast are civil service based. So, the first step is taking a written exam. The city or state will select candidates starting with the highest score first, but military veterans get priority. I'd strongly suggest that anyone seriously interested in law enforcement enter the military, not just for the civil service exam, but because it will make them a better police officer.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
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