Fuquay-Varina police officer receives national recognition

Brett Walsh didn’t plan on a career in law enforcement, but his job as a patrol lieutenant for the Fuquay-Varina Police Department has turned out to be a great fit. He was named the American Legion’s National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2018. Here, Walsh talks about the challenges — and the rewards — of being a top cop.

Q: You’ve been with the department for 10 years now; what led you to this career?

A: I kind of fell into it, although I did grow up in in too. My dad was a police chief. My uncle was an NYPD pilot; my cousin’s a state trooper. My plan was to stay in the military. But when I got out, I went to college for a few years and got my degree; I thought, “Well, let’s try this for a bit.” I signed up for it and went on my way.

Q: Fuquay-Varina police responded to 48,000 calls last year. What are the biggest challenges?

A: Our biggest challenge is growth. We can’t hire people fast enough. Being a cop today is not a glamorous job. It’s challenging and rewarding ... but it’s difficult to recruit people because of all the backlash we get.

Q: How is the field changing?

A: We’re trying to evolve into 21st-century policing and more advanced community service-based policing, but at the end of the day, we have to charge people with crimes, and some people don’t like that.

Q: What is community policing?

A: It’s about being involved in community action. We try to host events where we invite the community to talk to us—like Coffee with a Cop. Those are open discussions — ask us whatever you want, and we’ll answer it the best we can. That’s where we need to go as a police department and as law enforcement in general. It’s really a partnership; we need the community as much as they need us.

Q: What surprises you about this career?

A: Nothing surprises me anymore. After about 10 years, you see pretty much everything — from major crimes like homicides to giving a kid an ice cream award for wearing a helmet. You could literally do that range in one day.

Q: What do you like about it?

A: Interacting with people and trying to get through. People call us for all their problems. We get to see the good in people and the bad. It’s like being in the military, I guess. You want to be that person to help people and to make a difference in someone’s life. The officers who work here really care, and they don’t get enough credit for that. I try to encourage my staff to do something to make a difference every day. Don’t just write tickets and answer calls. Try to go an extra mile and help somebody out.

Q: What do you wish people knew about your career?

A: Law enforcement in general lives in the smallest fishbowl you can find. We are judged by the actions of the few. If one person in one place makes a poor decision, that reflects on all of us. I don’t think that’s fair. If a doctor prescribes someone the wrong prescription and that person ends up dying, it’s not “all doctors are bad.” However, if one officer makes a poor decision and is charged with a crime — which he should be — that reflects on all of us. Every officer is different.

They have social lives; they have stresses in their lives that they bring to work that might influence them. I think people need to understand that more. We’re normal people like anyone else.

Q: How did you feel when you found out you’d won the American Legion Police Officer of the Year award?

A: It’s humbling; there are thousands of officers in the country saving people’s lives on a daily basis. The thing for me was, “Why me? What have I done that these thousands of other people haven’t done?” Capt. Adams, my boss ... wrote up a couple pages and sent it in, and they picked me. I give him all the credit. He’s my mentor and points me in the right direction and tells me what I need to hear — good or bad.

Brett Walsh — Tar Heel of the Week

Born: Feb. 23, 1982, in Delhi, N.Y.

Residence: Fuquay-Varina

Occupation: Officer with the Fuquay-Varina Police Department

Military: Served in the Marines

Education: Studied criminology at N.C. State

Family: Married with two kids, ages 9 and 7

Hobby: Fishing