2 weeks Ago
But it's not lost on Griffith patrol officer Cynthia Torres, 36, that an uneventful patrol day isn't a bad thing, even though the clock might seem to tick slower. A slow day for Torres is a good day for Griffith. This particular Thursday afternoon just so happens to be one of those good days.
Torres, who has been with the Griffith Police Department since January 2022, prefers the night shift because there are typically more calls to respond to. Most of the time they're more interesting than the daytime calls, she says. "I like to make myself visible to the residents, let them know that there is somebody patrolling there, there is somebody watching out," Torres said.
"I think Griffith residents really appreciate that our officers ...
like to make our presence known." Torres is stopped at the intersection of Ridge Road and Colfax Street, a few cars behind the light. Her squad car is at a halt, but her eyes dart around, scanning the scene surrounding her.
She's probably more alert than any other driver on the road. Torres watches the car in front of her to ensure its driver follows the rules of the road. At the same time, though, part of her attention is dedicated to her computer, positioned between her and the passenger seat and outfitted with a keyboard that rattles while her car is in motion.
Her eyes move from looking at the car ahead, to the cars passing by, back to her computer. It allows her to tap into police communications within her department and the jurisdictions surrounding Griffith. It will tell her if any calls come up in Griffith and many of the surrounding jurisdictions.
Torres is not your typical police officer. She worked at a doctor's office for more than five years before she joined Griffith's force, but the thought of working as a police officer danced in her head the whole time. She'd thought of becoming one since she was a kid.
One day, while sitting at her desk job at the doctor's office, she had an epiphany. "I don't want to retire here," Torres remembered thinking at the time. "I'm not ready.
And like I said, this (working as a police officer) has always been in my heart, and I figured, I don't want the time to pass...
I'm gonna go for it and see what happens. And I did. Here I am.
" Torres is a woman who speaks Spanish. Automatically, that makes her extremely valuable — not just to the Griffith force but to the Region as a whole. She'll be requested by other departments to communicate with a person who only speaks Spanish.
She'll be asked to come pat down a female who has been arrested. Her useful traits have earned her the nickname "agency assist queen." Torres is one of just two female patrol officers in the department.
Griffith officers have a lot of ground to cover. There are always at least three officers patrolling the streets within the town's 33 square-foot perimeter at a time. At least four officers patrol the town on weekends.
But, amazingly, Torres doesn't use a GPS. "We are required to know the town," Torres said. "Before I left my FTO training, I had to know the town's streets .
.. We have to have an idea of what's where, which is a good thing.
" Torres said she has the option to use navigational programs but elects not to. She's only been on the force for three years, but the doctor's office employee-turned police officer is living her childhood dream. "I think the whole job, I've not mastered yet," Torres said.
"And you know what, it's a good thing. Like I tell the guys, I feel like I'm still learning. You're always going to be learning.
".
