“Not many jobs require
multiple polygraph
tests that challenge
your character and
morals.”
Dawn Moore
Many of us interact
with a police officer
only when we are
pulled over for a
traffic violation and
we usually have a
bad attitude! Meet
Dawn Moore, she
has been a police
woman in Lincoln
for 13 years.
The reality of
hearing Dawn
share her
experiences, even
holding a dead
baby really puts
into perspective
the challenges
that police officers
face every day.
They are the ones
who have to
answer these calls
and discover the
truth. Dawn has
worked the streets
and has been
assigned to
undercover drugs.
She currently
works as a school
police resource
officer at Lincoln
Northeast High
School. Her favorite
part about this job
is forming a
connection and
level of trust with
the students.
Officers in the
school are not just
there to keep kids
from stealing and
fighting; Moore
shared that being a
school resource
officer is deeper
than these
stereotypes.
Kids will build a
bond with Dawn as
they come to her
with problems and
ask for advice. As
Dawn explains,
“trust and
educating openly
with the kids
directly in the
classroom about
sexual assault,
drugs, helps keeps
this kids out of
trouble.”
Dawn hears about
girls being sexually
assaulted at home
or about a boy
buying drugs on
the street because
he wants to get
high. Her response
is to make these
topics every day
conversations with
the students.
Dawn works a 40
hours a week
daytime schedule
during the school
year. “I love that I
am able to go
home to my family
at nights and I have
weekends off.”
When asked what
she wanted most
people to
understand about
being an officer,
she said that, “we
are not perfect,
and it is funny how
most people
expect us to be
that way.”
She giggles and
shares a little
complaint about
how people call in
to report police
officers driving
poorly. Moore
recalls one of those
complaints with a
smile, “I saw an
officer in vehicle
233 and she was
eating Caesar salad
while driving!”
Dawn continues, “I
want people to
understand that
when we get a call,
we aren’t really
thinking about
anything besides
how we can
approach the scene
in the fastest and
most appropriate
manner.
One time I received
a call about a
woman who had
the likelihood of
shooting herself
– now I didn’t want
to arrive at the
scene with lights
blaring, so I just
raced there with
my lights off.
Yes, we know that
we make mistakes
driving but one has
to realize that we do
not abuse our power
so we can go to
lunch faster. We just
want to arrive at a
call as soon as we
can because 30
seconds could be the
difference in saving
someone’s life.”
“I took an oath to for this
job to seek the truth, not
just to arrest people. I
have the desire to help
people…”
Another question
that I asked Dawn
was if she was able
to be off duty.
Moore replied that
before she goes
home she takes off
her uniform and
leaves her badge,
gun, and radio in her
locker –“I can go
grab a gallon of milk
and a loaf of bread in
everyday clothes and
arrive home ready to
be with my family.”
How does she deal
with the danger of her
job every day? She
replies, “before I got
into this job I was told,
look you are gonna get
punched in the face,
someone’s gonna try to
run you over… I have
had people punch me
in the face and try to
seriously hurt me.
These experiences are
bad, but every day
when I go into work I
have to have the
mindset that things do
have the potential to
go bad and –it is the
nature of the job.”
Another question
that I asked Dawn
was if she was able
to be off duty. Moore
replied that before
she goes home she
takes off her uniform
and leaves her
badge, gun, and
radio in her locker –“I
can go grab a gallon
of milk and a loaf of
bread in everyday
clothes and arrive
home ready to be
with my family.”
There are
rewarding
moments. Moore
shared with me a
story of an elderly
woman that was in
a serious car wreck.
“I was the first one
on the scene and
she was still pinned
in the car. I held the
lady’s hand and
told her that help
was coming and
that she as not
alone. When she
was taken away in
the ambulance her
car was hauled
away. I am the one
who had the honor
and privilege to
grab her purse, her
glasses that fell off
her face during the
crash,
, and her Shopko
bags in the back
seat. The joy and
utter gratification
that they showed
towards me when I
got to the hospital
made all the pain
and bad stuff
worth it.” Dawn’s
caring attitude and
her gentle heart
come through in
any conversation
with her. But do
not be fooled, she
knows how to take
down someone
twice her size and
they won’t know
what hit them.
Lincoln should feel
safer knowing that
there are people
like Dawn who look
after them on and
off the streets. She
is a role model to
our students. What
motivates Dawn?
She said “not many
jobs require
multiple polygraph
tests that challenge
your character and
morals. Being a
police officer is a
seriously tough job
and that goes way
beyond the traffic
cop that gave you a
ticket for going 53
mph in a 45 zone.
I took an oath for
this job to seek the
truth, not just to
arrest people. I
have the desire to
help people and
connect them to
the treatment that
they need.”
Dawn represents
the best in our
police force.
Dedicated men and
women that
conduct
themselves with
honor while
protecting our
communities and
coming to the aid
of our neighbors.
That is our
definition of a
Patriot.