So what do you all think about Detectives Harris and Garner? Did you enjoy this couple hours? And further: what did they help clarify or illuminate or add to or confuse about what we've been talking about and watching?
For the record: we loved them. This was better than last year. And I somehow think that if Detective Garner stopped any of us for a traffic violation, she wouldn't let us go with just a warning.
Discuss!
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I really enjoyed having detective Harris and Garner come talk to us. After watching the fictional movies about cops, detectives and undercover detectives, they gave us a sip of reality. The movies we watched made me really wonder about being a cop and or a undercover detective because we never really know what is the truth until we actually see and hear it. I really liked how honest they were and weren't afraid to tell us any stories or issues they had with the job. I know i am not going to be a cop or undercover detective but it made me really understand what they go through everyday. I hope i do not have to experience what they have experienced but like we talked about earlier in the class, someone has to do the job.
ReplyDeleteEven though detective Garner was nice with us today, i would be really scared if she stopped me.
I thought it was great listening to their side of the story which is actual reality. I believe that it gave me a insight to law enforcement and really cleared up all my questions and doubts. i feel like know i dont have any assumptions about law enforcement anymore because i know the real side to it. I loved how honest they were with all their experiences and illustrating what really goes on when a cop is on duty or undercover. Even though i' am not going to become a police officer it was good for me to finally hear the truth to the job. I think that all the movies and tv shows we watched misled me and confused me but now i have the right mindset about law enforcement. I agree with Nicole i would be really freaked out if detective Garner stopped me because she has no empathy for anybody because if you are stopped its your fault.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed having Detective Harris and Garner come share their thoughts, opinions and stories in class with us today. They answered a lot of my questions and definitely convinced me that I would never want to be a cop. Having the opportunity to talk to real cops after watching the fictional movies and shows really gave me a better sense of what law enforcement is really like, and how the shows are extremely unrealistic. Although I know that I never want to be a cop, I think learning about what the job really involves was important for me today. I now can truly understand the dangers that real cops are facing, and really appreciate the men and women in this field of work who put their lives on the line each and everyday for innocent people.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Danielle and Nicole. Detective Garner was really nice to us today, but if she stopped me on the street, I would be pretty intimidated and freaked out after what she said about having no empathy for anybody!
I am sad that I missed out on hearing the speakers. It seems like reading the other blog posts that getting stopped by these detectives would be very scary. I am sure the real stories they told the class really showed everyone the difference between movie/TV cops to the ones protecting us everyday. I like what Madison said about appreciating all the men and women who choose to be cops and putting their lives on the line all the time. I doubt cops get the proper amount of credit they deserve because most people only interact with cops we they are getting busted for speeding!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to Detective Harris and Garner. Listening to their stories was very intense and so was having to hear what the go through everyday. I also liked learning why they became cops. In the movies and shows we are watching one of the important details seem to be how/why they became cops. I liked knowing that they both had reasons. It was also interesting to hear how they felt about crime shows. They didn’t just dislike them just for the inaccuracy but also for the false images they gave to other people. It seemed like the shows were getting in the way of them being able to do their jobs. Also we talked about in the movies if the law gets in the way cops way most often they ignore it. Their answer was that the law does get in the way of doing their job sometimes. The difference between the Detectives and the movies seems to be that the Detectives acknowledge the law is there and abide by it. Where as in the movies the cops ignore it completely. Another thing that struck me was how intense there undercover work was. Often when I think of undercover work it seems cool. Their undercover work was violating and scary in most situations. I really enjoyed listening to all their stories.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoyed listening to Detective Harris and Detective Garner talk to us. It cleared up a lot questions that I had and showed me how different being a real cop is as opposed to the movies and T.V. shows we watched, even the more realistic ones. I thought it was really interesting when they started talking about their experiences doing undercover work. I never realized how many of their jobs were so close to where I live. When I watched it on T.V. and in the movies it always seemed so far away, in New York and places like that. However, knowing it was also happening near to where I live it made it a lot more real. I also thought it was really interesting learning why they became cops and what they had to go through to become one. I also learned that I, like Madison, learned I could never become a cop. I couldn’t go through the training, and I definitely couldn’t leave my family everyday and think I might never see them again.
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was interesting that sometimes they do watch cop shows when they go home and criticize them. Even though they are police in reality everyday.
I really enjoyed listening to the detectives. The most interesting part was when they talked about their undercover work. Their jobs seem very intense and life threatening. Although if I were them I would be horrified to go undercover as a prostitute, their dedication showed their commitment to their career. I really admired that about them because we need people in law enforcement that truly love their job. Det. Garner clarified information pertaining to when they are off duty. I sometimes used to assume that cops always saved people, even if they were off duty. However, it never occured to me that they have to take their family's safety into consideration. I gained a lot of insightful information by listening to the two detectives.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed have Detective Harris and Garner in class. I agree with Madison in that they convinced me that I would never want to be a cop. This is because I could not handle many of the situations they were telling us they had been in. I liked hearing their stories because it was more real knowing that those situations had actually happened. I liked hearing them recall the past situations they had been in because they would get so excited about some of them. I thought it was really funny when Detective Garner picked up and Homicide and rolled her eyes. This is because we have been saying that Homicide is more real than most shows but a real cop rolled her eyes at it. I also liked the beginning when they told how they became cops because like in most of the movies there were reasons for becoming a cop.
ReplyDeleteAh. But has Detective Garner ever even seen Homicide? I thought it was funny too when she rolled her eyes. But think about what they said about real police work and what we saw in that episode of Homicide. I am no expert, but when Homicide debuted it's "realism"--lack of car chases and gun battles, relatively "real-looking" actors playing the officers, its embracing the mundaneness of death and violence--was touted as one of its selling point. It would be interesting to sit down with these two detectives and have them watch a Homicide episode with us and get their reaction.
ReplyDeleteI thought having Detectives Garner and Harris in class was great. It was very interesting to hear their perspectives as police officers as opposed to ours. One of the most interesting things to me was hearing them talk about their undercover work, especially right after seeing “Rush.” It was comforting to know that the undercover work they had experienced was not what we saw in Rush, and that the lengths Jim and Kristen went to in Rush were not taken in real life. That said, I think they’re very strong for the undercover work that they do, especially as prostitutes. I know I would be terrified. It was also comforting to talk to them because I feel like most of what we have been watching and talking about has been doubting the law in a way, or at least doubting some of the people in the law. It was reassuring, and answered a lot of my questions. Seeing how much they love their jobs and why they chose to be cops was very interesting, and I’m very glad that we got some first hand perspective.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed having Det. Garner and Det. Harris in our class. Hearing their first hand accounts of their experiences was quite insane. What they have witnessed and lived through takes some serious power. Like Det. Garner said, law enforcement is rewarding but you can't go into it half-way. I really liked hearing about their undercover work after seeing Rush to see what happens in reality in those situations. I also found both detectives' take on the law holding one back and their "for the greater good" views interesting. after listening to them, like Caroline, I have been convinced that I could never be a police officer. I know I don't have the full drive to put my life on the line every single day. Also, I could NEVER be tased or maced as part of training. I learned a lot from them coming to talk to us.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about police-work from Detective Harris and Detective Garner. I didn't realize that there was a little bit of truth to cop movies. I always thought that for the most part, police officers just wrote tickets and set speed-traps all day. I didn't realize just how dangerous being a police officer is. I always thought that cop movies were completely made up, but Detectives Harris and Garner taught me that there is a little bit of truth to them.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was illuminating to hear Detectives Garner and Harris talk about their work. Before listening to their stories, I thought that cops rarely face the situations Detectives Garner and Harris do. I thought police work was dangerous, but nothing like what the detectives have to handle. It was amazing to me how demanding their job is, and it made me realize how devoted you have to be in order to become a cop. Also, they both seemed to have very distinct ideas of right and wrong, and it seemed as if they did not face as many gray moral areas as we have seen in the movies we have watched. It was also very interesting to me that both detectives knew clearly that they were going to be in law enforcement at such early ages.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the discussion with the detectives. I liked listening to all the stories that they shared and I left the classroom thinking and talking about what I heard. The stories made me appreciate cops a lot more. It was amazing to me the dangerous situations they put themselves in everyday for the safety of civilians. For me the undercover work as prostitutes sounded the most dangerous. Being a woman, this was something that really scared me. It was hard for me to comprehend how they were able to remain so calm in such a potentially life-threatening situation. Throughout the conversation I thought it was strange how comfortable they were telling stories about some very difficult situations they had been in. When they showed the weapons it was particularly scary for me because the power of police became a lot more real. Overall, I think that Detective Garner and Detective Harris are some of the bravest women I have ever met. They put their lives at risk almost everyday for the civilians. The fact that they were both women (also Latina and black) made me respect them even more. It must take so much courage to do what they do being women. This discussion made me have so much more respect for police officers and also made me realize that I do not think I would ever have the strength to do what they do.
ReplyDeleteThis was my second time hearing Detective Harris and it was definitely a different experience. I enjoyed her both times, but this time it was interesting because I was comparing what we've been watching to what actually happens in real life. I loved how honest and open Detective Garner was and I found it interesting that she didn't feel sorry for any criminals. Their stories about the different undercover experiences was definitely the most interesting part of the discussion. I found their job to be very scary and just like Detective Garner said they know that every day could be their last and that's a scary thought. I really enjoyed hearing them talk to us about what cops really do. I was surprised by how much time they spend at the desk and not like arresting people. Overall I really enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteLet’s get this out of the way before anything else – I would NOT want to be pulled over by Detective Garner under any circumstances. Moving on: I loved when she rolled her eyes at Homicide, but I get the feeling (and I’m not alone here, it seems) that she’s lumping it in with the CSI’s and the Law and Orders. I agree with John that it would be an interesting experience to watch an episode of Homicide with them and get their reactions. There were three parts of the discussion that particularly fascinated me. The first part comes from my experience as an actor – I loved hearing about the different personas that they have to take, how they can transition immediately from one to another, and how much they have to develop their alternate personas to avoid any resemblance to who they really are. The second section was when they talked about gender and how it affects them in the workplace. I particularly liked hearing Detective Garner speak so distastefully about the “prissy, cute girls” who have long nails and keep their hair within “grabbing range”. The third section was about their experiences in the Police Academy (especially Detective Harris’ comments). It makes sense that the police would have to know how to react when pepper-sprayed, tasered, or in otherwise difficult situations, but the part that stuck with me was the sense of invulnerability that the two veterans see in the rookies straight out of the academy.
ReplyDeletePersonally I found it to be the most interesting thing that we have done in the class yet. I was so fascinated to hear their stories. While i cant say I was surprised at most of the things they talked about, it was nice to have certain things clarified. It made the idea of being a cop seem less like a bad thing. They just seemed like regular people who have a job. They did not appear haunted by it, in fact they loved what they did. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to the two detectives. They seemed like genuinely good people that wanted us to know how they operated. I didn't feel that anything was clarified for me that I had been confused about prior to them, but I have never really been confused in the first place. I did, however, understand more about how they think and that they are more like a regular person than I thought. Opposed to the media that makes them into interesting characters that sell movie tickets, these detectives seemed pretty normal and easy to understand.
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