Their gun, their badge, their dream

Their gun, their badge, their dream

Protecting and serving the school, why do the officers on campus spend their time in our community? 

Thirteen-year-old Beverly Ma sits at her desk, admiring the woman standing at the front of the classroom. The woman up front is talking to the class, and Beverly is captivated. She notices the crisp navy blue uniform, the belt crowded with cool gear, and the police hat sitting squarely atop the lady’s head. 

Just in seventh grade, Beverly already knows what she wants to be when she grows up -- a police officer -- because of the woman who visited her class on career day.

            Jason Groom looks down at his watch. It’s been thirty minutes since his night shift ended. 

            It’s dark outside, but some faint light from the sun is beginning to appear. Jason turns off the ignition and leans back in the driver’s seat of his patrol car. Pulling his police cap over his eyes, he yawns and drifts off. 

A couple hours later it’s back to work. The start of a new day.

            Little Antonio Machorro stares intently at the photo of his father on the mantle. He sees a man decked out in camoe, a gun propped against his shoulder. He sees a man that looks much like himself. And he sees a man serving his country.

            Antonio wants to be just like his father. He wants to serve.

            Ma, Groom and Machorro are all officers of the Dallas Police Department (DPD). All three protect our school. All three each have their own unique story. And all three have their own path that has led them to 10600 Preston Road. 

Day in and day out, police officers face many challenges. To most observers, these challenges seem to be the many risks an officer takes executing his or her duty on the streets, facing crime. While these dangers are all a part of the job, another type of challenge exists for officers -- what goes on behind the scenes. 

            According to the Dallas Morning News, the DPD lost more than 50 officers in 2018, and since 2017, the number of officers has decreased by about 300. This reduction in manpower has led to officers like Ma, Groom and Machorro working more shifts and having less time with their families. 

            “I've been at details before on late nights from 12 [a.m.] to 8 [a.m.], and there'd only be four people on detail covering all of Central,” Groom said.

            One of the reasons the number of officers is plummeting across the nation, not just in Dallas, is because of the difficulty departments face in hiring new recruits. Even though Jason Groom’s brother, Coy, is one example of someone who has recently become a policeman, fewer people are joining now. 

            “People always had enthusiasm, enthusiasm to be police officers,” Machorro said. “Now, that enthusiasm seems to have tapered.” 

            Other reasons have also caused interest in law enforcement to decline.

“You're in situations that in a split second could change your life,” Groom said. “So a lot of people don't want to deal with that. And then people get passed over even though they were the best one for the job, but they're looking for demographics. That's just kind of the way politics works, and that's just the way it is.”

Not only are less officers coming in, but more officers are leaving. One of the reasons for the exodus at the DPD is the relationships officers have with their superiors. In Ma’s eyes, her superiors think differently than her because they sit behind a desk while she risks her life out in the field.

“There is a disconnect between upper management at work,” Ma said. “Our upper command staff versus us, so a lot of people leave for that reason too. I guess nationwide people just aren't doing this job as much anymore either. I think a lot of people are also just quitting to go do other professions.”

            Despite the inability of the DPD to retain its employees, Dallas Police Officers will continue to do their job to the best of their ability -- to protect the people of Dallas under their watch.

“There are a lot of brave men and women in our department, and we're all given that stigma by the actions of a few,” Machorro said. “The one thing that we will do is we will show up every day and work. Regardless if we're short or not, we are going to provide the best quality service that we can for the citizens.”

Because after all, the reason Ma, Groom and Machorro entered into law enforcement in the first place is to serve.

“I just treat people how I want to be treated until they dictate otherwise,” Groom said. “Then we have to do what we do. That's pretty much it. I mean, you want to help somebody. That's why you're in this profession.”

While the officers that protect us overcome many obstacles every day, each has his or her own life outside of work.

Ma helps teach Ms. Lin’s class since she speaks Chinese. She plays piano and has two dogs she loves, Bella and Eddie.

Groom commutes one hour each way to work. He has three daughters, owns a ranch with cattle, and enjoys hunting and fishing.

Machorro, who has experience patrolling schools in El Paso, enjoys spending time with his family and supporting his son and two daughters in their athletic and artistic endeavors.

Whatever they enjoy doing in their free time, these officers have lives just like us, yet they sacrifice their own time to protect and serve us. And every day they knowingly undergo the risks and challenges that come with being a police officer because they love what they do.

“I can't see myself doing anything else,” Machorro said. “I love the job. I love the satisfaction of knowing that at the end of the day, I made some kind of difference in somebody's life.”