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Mariela Gonzalez
Susan Lester
Advanced Grammar and Composition
10 March 2012
Speech Rough Draft Essay
Have you ever thought about the discrimination that a female police officer goes through
just for being a girl? Well I can tell you that since this career field is male dominant, females
have to prove themselves much more than they should. I as a female has always had the idea of
becoming a police officer. On my senior project I investigated what a female goes through as
well as if it really was what I wanted to be affiliated with.
In 2009 during my freshman year, my dad and a friend planned to go to Washington state
driving all the way there to visit some family members. He drove for a day and a half locating
him in Ohio. He was anxious to see our family members and spent some quality time with them.
When on the interstate, a police officer was on duty and once my dad passed he pulled him over.
He was questioned as to where he was going and why he had a Georgia license plate. My dad
answered them with all honest. He was willing to say nothing but the truth because he had
absolutely nothing to hide. Everything was answered and nothing wrong went on, that is until the
cop asked the passenger for an ID. He did not have one in hand and so what the police officer
did, was to call immigration on my father. My dad had done absolutely nothing , yet the police
officer had the suspicion that my dad had something to hide. And so he called immigration as
well as a police officer for back up. The car that my dad was driving was a 05 F-150 and he had
payed it all off. The cop said he was suspicious in search of drugs, so he searched the car, and

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had the need to cut a the back seats to look for “drugs.” The other police officer came and kept
an eye on my dad. Although they were searching the truck, the police officer that came for back-
up said that he was not arrested yet and if he needed to go in the cop car since it was very cold
that he was more than welcomed too. My dad was talking to him perfectly fine and the cop said
“I don’t understand why he stopped you in the first place.” This showed that the police officer
that stopped my dad was racist. He took him to jail and put him under immigration. Immigration,
as well as the police officers working at the detention center he was held in told him that his case
was worth fighting for since he has always worked hard and have no criminal record. To the day,
my father has been fighting his case, spent much more money then he has ever thought off, and
he also sold his truck at a much lower price then it should of been. Some good has come out of it,
he has received a work permit, and he has court next year in June to tell him whether he can
become a resident or some sort of visa. Like I said, I have always wanted to be a police officer,
but after this it made me realize that this work field could be very close-minded towards other
races. This made me get into a deeper look at this career field and really see if this is what I want
to have a job in. However, this did not stop me from researching being a police officer and
giving it another shot seeing if that is what I really want to achieve.
My topic is linked to the career I am researching for because I am wanting to research
more over that career to see if that is really what I’m wanting without being based on what
happen with my father. I chose this career because ever since I was little I have been interested in
law enforcement especially seeing those action filled movies. I felt the rush and I knew that is
what I wanted to be affiliated with when I get older. Although it was not going to be exactly like
they interpret it in movies, researching was a great idea to get the real picture of the work field.
My research paper relates to my career field because I did it on how females are discriminated on

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when joining this career field. This work force is make dominant so for a women to come in and
be the outcast they will be getting picked on and as a women need to prove them that we can do
it and exactly the same way that a man does. Now I will be telling you about the process I
followed in creating my product.
Denise Barry is a female police officer working in the Canton police department who I
got in touch with and was able to help and guide me throughout this process. She started working
in this field on March of 2002 with the Dekalb Police Department. Besides being on duty and
just roam around checking, she also goes to court as a witness on Tuesdays’ and Wednesdays’.
In my facilitator I was looking to find a loyal hardworking female who is passionate about her
job. Denise Barry is a married women with 5 kids and has put effort and worked hard to the lady
that she has become. I came in touch with her thanks to my Criminal Justice teacher, coach
Hubbard. He was able to get in touch with people in that field since he used to be a police officer
himself. He asked what qualities I was looking for and all I said was a female so I could see what
she had to go through since this is a male-dominant career. He gave me her e-mail and so I e-
mailed her and the path to where I am now began. In the 10 years that she has been working in
the field, she has earn many certifications such as follow: Peace Officer Standards and Training
P.O.S.T. (GEORGIA), Field Training Officer (F.T.O.), LYDAR certified, Intoxilyzer certified,
and Criminal Investigations. She has responded to 911 calls, Investigate crimes such as Jorelys
Rivera, worked in the county’s NET team on undercover armed robbery, narcotics, and
prostitution operations as well as high risk warrant execution. As of September, 2009, she was
appointed an acting Sergeant (Cartersville Police Department) for a couple of months. Numerous
commendations have also been awarded to her for her outstanding police work.

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While doing the project and the research, I have learned many things about myself as
well as this career field. I noticed that I have been lacking and need to practice on not being so
procrastinated. This might be the case, but I when it comes to feeling like there is nothing else I
can do, I pick myself up and try as hard as I can. Communication skills— For my project I have
to come to use e-mail much more than usual. I have also learned to be much formal texting with
somebody of importance. Skills at talking on the phone and in person I have had to improve on. I
am interested in following a field in a career where you are active and everyday is something
new. To not have the same routine everyday would just be perfect. I do not want to be in a place
where I stay in the same place nor do the same thing over and over again for many years. After I
have done the research, it has come to my attention that being a police officer is not what I want
to do. After listening to how well my cousin in Mexico is doing being a doctor it inspired me to
do the same. I plan to go to Mexico and start my career to being a general doctor in August.