By Shayna Mace | Photography by Hillary Schave
Being a police officer can be one of the most challenging jobs — but with it comes fulfillment and a shared purpose, say the Madison Police Department (MPD) officers and detective we spoke with.
For detective Gracia Rodriguez, her love of math, mysteries and solving puzzles is what drew her to investigative work. What keeps her engaged is bringing closure to crime victims.
“You get to work with victims, seek justice and there is a conclusion. And justice does look different for each victim,” she explains.
Community outreach and resource education officer Candace Enis got into the field to challenge stereotypes, and as a perk, engages with city youth — which she enjoys.
“Growing up in Chicago as a Black woman, I never wanted to be a police officer. Then I went to school at the University of Iowa and I started taking policing classes … and I learned that there are a lot of ways things can go wrong [in policing],” she explains. “Often when I go to community centers, I don’t wear my full patrol uniform. I explain that I’m a community member and I understand what it’s like to have this fear, or not liking a police officer. It’s challenging, but the rewards are that the kids will come up and give me a hug when I’m out at events and I forge relationships with their families.”
Investigator Joanna Hollenback also didn’t expect to work in policing but was drawn to it after a UW-Madison academic advisor said she’d be a good police officer. Previously, Hollenback, who is Ho-Chunk, had been a fitness supervisor for the Ho-Chunk Nation at the House of Wellness in Baraboo.
“I was an older, nontraditional student with a toddler at home. The year I applied, there were 1,600 applicants, and I kept making it, cut after cut. This career is really exciting, so when I started this job, I found out this is what I was meant to do,” says Hollenback.
Another nontraditional recruit was Stephanie Nelson. She graduated with a fine arts degree and is now a K9 officer. She literally takes her work home with her every day — police pup K9 Charlie lives with her. The German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix is trained in tracking and apprehending suspects, evidence searching and handler protection.
“When all of my training with Charlie comes together and we have success in tracking a person or something else, it’s really great,” affirms Nelson.
In the early years of her career, officer Adria Ehly, a 251⁄2-year veteran on the force, notes that female officers were not always taken seriously.
“I used to get a lot, ‘Do you ride in a patrol car all by yourself?’
I don’t get that much anymore,” she says. “It’s breaking down the barriers and stereotypes that we are able to do this. While I find being a role model and representing the community I serve to be important … we’re helping people navigate their hardships and the criminal justice system, so they walk away with a feeling that they’ve been treated with respect — and that someone cared.”
