Deputy Lon Shook

I wasn’t someone who “always wanted to be a cop.” Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I knew that I didn’t want to sit in an office

9 to 5 and stare at a computer screen all day. I wanted to make a good living, but getting rich wasn’t my goal. I needed to find an occupation that allowed me to be active and experience a lot of different things. I was enrolled in college and, in my junior year, had to declare a major. I decided on Criminal Justice because it gave me several options for careers once I graduated.

In my junior year I did an internship with the King County Sheriff’s Office. I was assigned to the Special Operations Goodwill Games Security Planning Unit. During my summer internship I got to do ride-alongs with patrol and K-9 deputies. I worked with Crime Analysis and detectives, and got to shoot firearms with the SWAT team. I had a blast and learned a lot.

I returned to school at Washington State University and graduated. Like most people, I had bills to pay and just wanted a job. I applied with several different agencies and was ready to go with any agency that would hire me first. I was actually hired by an agency other than KCSO. However, a week later KCSO called and offered me a job. I decided to accept a job with the King County Sheriff’s Office, and nineteen years later I’m still here and enjoying my occupation. KCSO had take-home patrol cars and was a large and diverse agency where there was a lot of opportunity. I could work in an urban area, or work in a more rural setting. There were also contract cities, so if I wanted to work in a small city environment I could do that, too. None of the other agencies I had applied for had all of these choices. What I realize now, looking back, is that I could have gotten a job with any agency I applied for and, if I had taken that first job with a city police department I wouldn’t have been happy in the long run. I’m very glad I waited and went with KCSO.

What tips would I offer someone who is actively looking to get hired as a police officer? Be selective. Don’t just take the first job that comes along. You are going to have a long career and waiting an extra amount of time for the agency you want is worth it. Understand that larger agencies like KCSO take longer to process applicants, but it’s well worth it in the end.