Officer Trischelle Love

 Q1: Why did you become a Police Officer? 

I have many considering factors of why I became a Police Officer. The biggest reasons were my two boys and my faith. Let me explain. I am a single mother of two mixed race boys, a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old. My 17-year-old suffers with mental health disorders. At the age of 5 he was diagnosed with ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. On many occasions my son would have an episode in public. These episodes would look like a giant temper tantrum. He would be over stimulated, overwhelmed and unable to control his reactions. What the public would see is a big kid acting badly. As he got older it became harder for me to help him control his outburst. My fear was him being a mixed-race male and him having an episode in public that law enforcement would get involved and not recognize it as a mental health episode and see him as a threat. After a major episode inside Target, I tried to explain to my son my fears and concerns for him should he have an interaction with police during an episode. My son looked at me and said, “Mom if you are so worried, why don’t you do something about it”. He was being sassy, but he was right. I can do something about it. I can help bridge the gap between law enforcement and mental health. I was always telling my boys if you want to see change be the change. It was my turn to put actions behind my words. The next day I had a long conversation with a friend, and she convinced me to apply that day.  

My second reason is my faith. Prior to law enforcement, I owned an insurance brokerage. A successful brokerage at that, but I woke up every day unfilled. For the longest time I felt like I was not living my purpose, I had so much more to give. At one church service my pastor said, “Live a death bed life”. Meaning live a life that on your death bed you have no regrets. When my time comes and I account for my life, I don’t want any “what ifs”. I trusted that if the Lord sees me to it, he will see me through it. If it is my purpose and my calling, I could and would become a police officer even as a 35-year-old single mother.  

Q2:  What motivates you to succeed?  

My motivation to succeed is to show those around me that you can live a life on purpose for a purpose. Being an example to those who have been knocked down and have suffered setbacks that their past and current situation does not have to be their final destination. Success to me looks like being an atmosphere changer. Going into every situation and leaving it a little bit better. I want to leave a legacy of kindness and that is what motivates me to succeed.  

Q3:  What is your most memorable moment on the job? 

In February of 2022, my partner and I responded to a call regarding a man experiencing a mental health crisis. He stated to dispatch he was armed with a gun and wanted to commit suicide by cop. The sergeant requested a Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT). officer to respond to assist. Unfortunately, no CNT officer was available. Knowing CNT is a team I wish to be a part of soon, I asked the sergeant if I could attempt to negotiate a safe surrender with the subject. The sergeant agreed and dispatch patched me into the phone call. I spent the next 30 mins listening and talking to the subject who was very distraught. He finally agreed to put the gun on the porch and come to the end of the driveway and safely surrender. After the subject was detained officers on scene located a realistic looking fake handgun on the porch, it was at that moment I realized the magnitude of the situation. Had I been unable to negotiate his safe surrender and he presented the weapon to officers; it could have ended a lot differently. The feeling of knowing this subject is alive and getting the help he needed as well as all officers going home safe from this incident was so rewarding.  

Q4: What challenges have you faced?  

I have faced many challenges up to and currently as a police officer. I went into the Police Academy at the age of 35. The average age in my academy class of 47 recruits was a lot younger than me. I was the 3rd oldest in the class. Many in my class doubted my physical abilities to keep up with the demands of academy and the job. I had to not only work harder, I had to work smarter. I ended up graduated 7th in my class. Even today that doubt still drives me to go the extra step in everything I do.  

I would say my biggest challenge has been and still is being a single mother in law enforcement. During the academy I knew I had to live, eat and breath the academy. My oldest son having mental disorders and needing daily medication, I painfully gave up custody of him to my parents. My parents lived three hours away, so I knew I would be going long time frames of not being able to see him. As a mother I struggled with that decision. But it also reminded me how much I had on the line to graduate. I could not fathom explaining to my child it was all for nothing because I could not or would not do one more push up or failed to study for a test. There was no plan B for me. Thankfully I graduated and the challenge has now been finding a balance between being a mother, having a social life and being a patrol officer. 

Q5:  What advice do you have for women considering a profession in policing?

The advice I would give to women considering a profession in policing is to Know Your Why. What is driving you to become an officer? Stand strong in your “Why” because there will be moments you question your decision. Having a strong Why helps those moments pass.

As I mentioned in what motivates me to succeed, showing women that we are not our past. Everyone has a story, so own it and don’t let it own you. On patrol you will face so many different situations, you never know when your life experience and perspective is just what the person you are contacting needs.