
Det. Andy Pinvidic
Auto Theft Detective
Westminster Police Department
Westminster Police Department
Auto Theft Detective
I handle all investigations that relate to vehicle theft and vehicle burglary in Westminster.
If there's somebody that I've identified as a prolific car thief, a great day would involve me and my partners locating and arresting them, and then hopefully obtaining some kind of confession or statement that's going to help the prosecution hold this person accountable for their crimes. I also really enjoy the excitement of putting together the operations that catch these criminals, which we usually set up by studying their habits and using bait cars to sting them.
Here's the first step for college students
You pretty much have to have a college education to be considered in the police force because it's so competitive now. You don't necessarily need a criminal justice degree, but any degree is better than none. Aside from that, your first step should be doing your research and finding out what the job is really about. That can mean volunteering at your local police department, going on ride-alongs, etc. It's not the job that you see on TV, so get in there and see if it's right for you.
"I can't succeed at this."