What is the best part of being a police officer in a small village?
Officer Paul Zullo of the Scotia Police Department says that his favorite part is interacting with people around the village.
“A good thing about the job is that every day is unique,” Zullo says.
To become a police officer, one must attend the Police Academy and participate in 12 weeks of on-the-job training. Even after 17 years on the force, Officer Zullo is still required to participate in regular training. While learning to use a Taser, Zullo had to be shot with this powerful 50,000-volt weapon.
Zullo says since they have a small department, all of the Scotia officers are investigators. The officers have to take fingerprints and examine crime scenes. They arrest people for everything from traffic violations to murder.
Scotia has a youth aid program and Zullo is one of four youth aid officers. Officers of the youth aid bureau receive special training to help children 16 years old and younger who have broken the law.
The least favorite part of Zullo’s job is handling domestic violence calls and driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) calls. There are two holding cells that are mostly used for DWI arrests.
When asked about funny calls, Zullo said that one day he responded to a call to an elderly woman’s house. When he arrived, he walked in and was asked to change a light bulb that the woman could not reach. As Officer Zullo says, every day is unique!
Ben Kimble is a sixth-grader at Schenectady Christian School
Categories: Uncategorized
