By Samantha Liptrap
Brittany Kobal has been intrigued by police officers ever since she was a little girl.
It was the sirens, the lights, and the idea of helping people that drew the 22-year-old Essex native to the law enforcement profession.
In June 2014, Kobal’s dream came true when she graduated from the Baltimore County Police Academy. Today, she is assigned to the White Marsh area.
“The job of a police officer always interested me,” Kobal said. “I always knew that was who I wanted to become.”
Becoming a police officer isn’t as simple as being handed a badge, a gun and a uniform. The academy is a 27-week process, with courses ranging from firearm skills to stress prevention and conflict management.
“Every part of the academy had it challenges,” Kobal said. “From stressing over passing a test or the nerves from having to do a scenario in front of the class. It was all challenging.”
“All testing standards were the same for women as they are for the men in the class,” Kobal added. “From the physical agility test to all of the academic classes, men and women were held to the same standards.”
Kobal graduated among 13 other women and 20 men. “Being a female police officer doesn’t hinder me in the slightest bit,” Kobal said. “Enforcing the law isn’t about being male or female. It’s about how you treat people and how you carry yourself.”
Kobal said some people have the perception that female police officers are not as strong as men and that they are not able to handle certain situations, such as holding down another person.
“If you give respect to those who deserve it and take the time to listen and understand what another person is saying, the job can always get done no matter what the sex of the officer is,” she said.
Although the police academy is a grueling process, Kobal said, no one can ever be prepared to handle death and the feelings and emotions that come along with it.
“Death will always be the hardest experience as a police officer,” Kobal said. “No matter how old or young they are, death is never good or easy to handle. Just seeing the sadness in their family and knowing there is nothing you can do to help.”
Kobal sometimes finds it hard to not become attached to the job. However, she has founds ways to keep a positive attitude.
“Some days are harder than others, but at the end of each of my shifts I know that I helped someone in some way shape or form and because of that I am proud to be a police officer,” she said.
“The best feeling you can experience while being a police officer is when you could be having the worst day ever and you show up to a call and a little kid gets so excited to see the car and to see me in uniform,” Kobal said. “I remember feeling like that when I was younger, seeing other kids so happy to see me. That feeling will never get old.”