A Visit from Officer Whitehead

Visit from Officer Whitehead

Juvenile Justice Officer

Officer Whitehead, a juvenile justice officer, entered our history room ready to reveal her journey from a medical officer to the juvenile probation system and every detail in between. For my peers and I, we were previously working on a prison system unit, and were urging to hear the perspective of a real officer in the city. During the thirty minutes spent with Officer Whitehead, we learned about our city revolving around crime rates and juveniles.

Whitehead has years of her experience under her officer belt. Serving in Philadelphia for over 10 years, Officer Whitehead knows the city inside and out. When she entered our classroom, she showcased her weapons, including her taser, nine ml handgun, and nightstick. These weapons also come with tragic and triumphant stories, that Officer Whitehead was willing to share. For example, the time that she was once threatened with a gun, and had to use her own for her safety. These are circumstances that my classmates and I have never been through, so we show great gratitude for people like Officer Whitehead who are willing to risk their lives for the well-being of Philadelphia citizens.

Not only did Officer Whitehead tell us the glory of her job, but she also spoke of her police officer conscience, and how she deals with her job emotionally. What resonates with her are the days that she needs to use a weapon on a person, which is something that most people forget about juvenile justice officers. An officer still remembers when he or she needs to harm a person, just as it would a regular person.

Our experience with Officer Whitehead gave us a new perspective of Philadelphia’s prison system. The experiences that she has been through show us that we are safe and protected in a high risk city, and that people like Officer Whitehead are always willing to help Philadelphia residents like my peers and I.