Marlee Chapman is a crime prevention supervisor in Encinitas, California. She says that she didn't start out where she is. "I had been a teacher, but I got frustrated with the school systems and how teachers' hands were tied. I wanted to help people," she says.
So she looked into other careers and landed a job as a crime prevention specialist. It's been a wild ride! "I do a lot of different things. And it's the most fun. I've worked community presentations, like bike rodeos. I've worked with preschools using the McGruff [a crime dog mascot] puppets. I do displays for awareness. It's a lot of public relations work."
Chapman also visits people who are the victims of crime. And in doing so, she has run into some strange situations. "You really get some kooks," she says. "There are a big variety of people out there." But it's not just the people you have to worry about.
"I've been bitten on the posterior end by ducks that people keep in their yard. I was visiting people that had been burglarized and when I walked around the yard to look at the point of entry, the ducks got me. I've also been in the McGruff costume and -- I love dogs -- so I bent down to pet this dog and it tore the paw off of the costume and shredded it!"
All in all, however, Chapman says there is nothing she doesn't like about her job. "I love it all. You get to help people. And the pay is very low, but it's a great job. The hours are flexible and I can work around my family. I do some evening work attending functions and community meetings. But there is a lot of diversity, and I enjoy that.
"You meet so many people," she says. "You're out there educating them and teaching them how to stay safe."
Chapman even has the opportunity to reach a wider range of students now. "We teach toddlers about safety. We teach teenagers about driving and the laws associated with that. We even attend community meetings, since neighborhood watches are not as popular now." She has the opportunity to teach people how to live more secure lives.
Barry Davidson is a crime prevention specialist. He says that his favorite part of the job is "trying to convince people to get involved or to make a change or to take responsibility in their lives or in the community." Of course, he says, "That is also the hardest part."
But a good challenge doesn't bother Davidson. "I am often working beside enforcement agencies from around the world. As such, I am often looked upon as 'one of the team' and I usually spend some time on patrol with them."
Davidson points out that a lot of people who are or want to be police officers become crime prevention specialists instead. That was the case with him.
"I really wanted to be a police officer, but as I studied psychology more, I enjoyed profiling and social effects, so that was a natural area for me to follow. It is exciting, ever-changing, will always be a viable field, is VERY challenging mentally and it is perfect for people who like studying people."
Davidson does like studying people. And he has studied them a lot during his time as a crime prevention specialist. "But it has made me more aware of people. And because of that perhaps, I am more suspect of peoples' motives now," he says.
"I sometimes look at my projects and wonder if we could have done things differently. By the very nature of my work, it will affect many thousands of people. I take a great deal of pride in the effort that goes into my research to ensure that I make the right decision with the information that I have at the time."