Jerad Kent
Detective
City of Westminster Police Department
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
Hearing stories about the military from my uncle and grandfather made me want to join up.
After high school, I went to college for one year, then realized I'd rather join the military.
I joined the Marine Corps, as a reservist.
I was meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal, then to the rank of sergeant.
My unit struggled financially, so we never deployed overseas; it was both a blessing and a letdown.
While serving, I simultaneously went to community college and obtained my associates degree.
After my service ended, I went back to school and got my bachelor's degree.
I now work as a detective for the Westminster Police Dept., focusing on suppressing gang activity.
Education
High School
Associate's Degree
Golden West College
Golden West College
Career
Detective
I'm a gang detective, handling any crimes, investigations involving gang activity.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Law
Armed Services
Helping People
Day to Day
I usually come into the office at around 2 p.m., grab a cup of tea, and get into the flow of my job. That starts with me opening up my email to see if anyone in my department or nearby departments have recently arrested any gang members that I'd be interested in speaking with. After that, my two partners and I will hop into our unmarked police car and cruise around the city, looking for gang members who we can make contact with and from whom we can receive some new information.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
If everyone here in the police department only studied law enforcement, we wouldn't be able to put together good task forces, we wouldn't be able to think outside the box and solve these crimes. So I recommend you study something else of your choosing, because your outside knowledge is going to prove very, very valuable. After that, you just have to take initiative and get started; if you want to be a police officer, go talk to other cops, go on ride alongs, make connections, and sell yourself.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Associate's Degree
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You can't do it."
