Officer N. Laufenberg
How or when did you decide that serving your community, in such a potentially dangerous way, was what you wanted to do?
I grew up in a law enforcement household. My father was a Sergeant with the Bellevue Police Dept. as well as being a volunteer fire fighter. It was never a question as to what I wanted to do because I always looked up to him. I remember when I was about 12 we had a gentleman knock on our door that I did not know and had asked if Ofc. Laufenberg was home. This was, as you can imagine, a little alarming for me but my dad came to the door. The man said 'I know you won't remember me but you helped me change my life around, giving me a DUI a few years ago'. My dad did not remember him but none the less spoke to him for several minutes and, I always remembered being astonished that someone would take the time out of their day to thank someone for what could have been very negative in their life. I just aspire to make that kind of difference for someone.
How has your life been affected since the death of George Floyd, the subsequent protests/riots and the call to defund police across the country?
I find it very disheartening that people can be so openly negative to law enforcement as a whole. People that I have considered close friends and even family members have been openly vocal about their dislike for the profession that I chose. I do feel like I have to refrain from posting things onto social media or having an opinion about any matter as to not offend anyone due to my career. That being said there was also a large outcry of support from the community as a whole that did not go unnoticed.
What would you tell anyone considering a career path in Law Enforcement, knowing what you have experienced so far in your career?
Know that it's what you want to do and, that you want to do it for the right reasons. Know that it will effect your life in negative ways but, it can also be extremely fulfilling. And remember you are a human just like everyone else so don't treat them any differently than you want to be treated.
