LAPD Essay Contest Entries

These LAPD essays were given to me by some 12 year-olds I met recently.

If you were a Los Angeles police officer, how would you help solve the problems in your neighborhood or community?

“I think one of the problems facing police officers is that if they could recruit some young people to be police then it would be better. Something I would do if I was a police officer is I would go into neighborhoods and see which of the young kids look like they would be a good police officer. You can see it in there eyes if they could do it. I would go into convenience stores and I would go up to the counter and buy something and then I’d “accidentally” knock it off the counter, and if a kid behind me instantly caught it before it touched the ground and gave it to me and said “you dropped this sir” and walked out of the store like nothing even happened, I would watch this kid and see if he would be interested in becoming a police officer. You could also do things like throw a ball in the street and say “hey kid there’s a ball in the street you should get it” and if he doesn’t go into the street that means he also might be good. Women can be police officers too.”

Henry Gomez
8th grade
Thomas Starr Jordan Middle School

“I have a confession to make: I’m not 14 years old, but I have written a hilarious screenplay! It’s called ‘Ms. LAPD’ and it follows the story of a Beverly Hills beauty queen who loses a bet with her dad and has to enter the police academy. I would describe it as ‘Training Day’ meets ‘Private Benjamin’”

Donald M. Gustafsson
Fairfax High School
Class of ‘64