Montgomery County Community College Municipal Police Academy Cadet Lt. 罗德里克·范彻已经对打击犯罪略知一二. He 在蒙哥马利县地方检察官办公室工作了九年多 as a prosecutor.

这位35岁的丈夫和两个孩子的父亲是威洛格罗夫人，他报了警 工作才是他真正的使命，于是他决定放弃在法庭上的生活 a police badge. 他已经被上梅里恩镇警察局雇用了 as a patrol officer and was sworn in this past January. He’s scheduled to begin working 在他完成学院课程并通过市警察考试之后 Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) exam.

对2006年毕业于上莫兰高中(Upper Moreland High School)的范彻来说，警察工作一直是他的激情所在 这是他在富兰克林和马歇尔学院读大三时就想追求的. 他毕业于哲学专业，但他知道他要从事的是执法工作 was truly meant to do with his life.

A call to serve

“参加童子军，参加鹰级童子军项目，有很多社区服务 involved,” said Fancher. “我对与社区合作和服务很感兴趣 the public.”

大学毕业后，范彻申请在家乡当一名警察. 不过，在经济衰退最严重的时候，他记得自己曾与超过100家公司竞争 1,400 applicants.

他说:“我记得队伍一直排到停车场的尽头。.

虽然他在这个过程中走得很远，但他没有被选中，所以他决定追求一个 career as an attorney instead. 他参加了法学院入学考试，开始学习 at Drexel University’s School of Law in August 2011. He interned in the Montgomery 县地方检察官办公室两年从2012年夏天开始，之前 毕业后在那里担任助理地区检察官. He worked 在那里待了9年，但成为一名警察的愿望从未离开过.

到2021年秋，反对警察暴行的抗议活动导致全国范围内的警察离职 the police force. 范彻认为，如果优秀的人加入进来，情况就会发生变化 police force.

“All they need are good people out there. If good people become good police officers, 不应该有这些抱怨，”他说他记得自己当时在想. “I think I’m a good person. I think I have a good head on my shoulders. I think I have what it takes.”

His wife, a defense attorney, supported his decision. In December 2021 he filled out 申请加入上梅里恩警察局，但从未提交. 他重新考虑了一下，又等了一年，直到他接到一个工作的朋友的来信 in the department that there were job openings.

“我当时想，伙计，上梅里恩是蒙哥马利县首屈一指的警察局，” he said. “他们很专业，他们很正直，他们有一种支持的文化 and a community that’s very supportive of them.”

2023年7月，他申请了一个职位，并得到了工作. Then Fancher had to tell District Attorney Office Kevin R. Steele he’d be leaving. To his credit, Steele understood.

“He was very supportive,” said Fancher. “He said ‘I know it’s something you’ve always wanted to do. That’s great. It’s a big leap. Be safe.’”

Top of the class

今年1月宣誓就职后，他开始在中冶警察学院学习. He can remember his first few days vividly.

“I tried to hide my background,” he said. “I wanted to be treated like a regular person. 我不想受到任何人的特殊对待，尤其是老师或同学. I wanted to be one of them.”

这个计划持续了一天，因为一位老师问班上是否有人有法律学位 and looked right at Fancher.

“There was an audible gasp in the classroom,” he said. “I remember people sitting next to me making a sound.”

范彻说，虽然有时他的同学或老师会推迟 他说，他还在从警察学院学到很多东西. 比如战术，在常规的交通拦截中，你的身体应该放在哪里 在某人被戴上手铐和其他技能后搜查他们是否有武器 这些都是范彻说他从头开始的领域 just like his fellow cadets.

他说:“把这些教育材料放在一起，我感到非常高兴。. “It’s 显然是由MPOETC标准化的，但教官是真正的警察 真实的经历，所以他们把自己的故事和课程联系在一起. That’s really the most important and helpful.”  

他的导师说，范彻即将成为班级的告别辞代表 he is a natural leader.  

“在他进入青训学院之前，我对他有很高的期望，他已经超越了我的期望 市警察学院院长乔吉特·希尔说. “He is a natural class leader and humble. 在任命他为班长之前，我和他谈了这件事. 他主动提出要把当领导的经验传授给别人，因为他有过很多经验 leadership roles throughout his career. I decided to make him class lieutenant because 我对他管理好班级充满信心. He has done a great job thus far.”

An eye to the future

从警察学院毕业后，范彻将在Upper实习 Merion for a year before he’s a full patrol officer. He hopes to one day become a 警局里的警探，但现在专注于成为最好的巡警 he can be.

“We’ll see where the chips fall,” he said.

虽然离开地方检察官办公室让他很难过，但范彻说他从未想过 后悔没有追随自己人生最大的激情.

“It’s something within me,” he said. “I don’t want to be older and regret not following this path. 我要迈出这一步，很抱歉我要离开办公室， but police work is number one.”