Tell us about yourself.
Jorge I. Lasso, 51 years
BSc (Chemistry), McMaster University, 1976
28 years service with HPS, currently at the rank of Detective Sergeant
Positions held: Patrol officer, Special Car, Youth Branch Investigator, Race Relations officer (the first, 1987), Vice & Drugs, Child Abuse (investigator and later supervisor of the Branch), Supervisor- Special Investigations Branch (Family Violence Unit/ Pawn/ Crimestoppers/ Coroner’s Branch), Major Crimes Unit (investigator and currently a supervisor), and Instructor at the Ontario Police College.
Father of two boys
Numerous volunteer positions with organizations such as the Hamilton Multicultural Centre, Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO), Mayor’s Race Relations Committee, Committee Against Racism and Discrimination, Urban Native Homes, Lion’s Club, Catholic Children’s Aid Society, and many others.
Why did you choose policing as a career?
I have always enjoyed helping people, coupled with the excitement of a career with many opportunities for physical, emotional and mental challenges in a high profile environment. Policing offered an opportunity to make a significant and immediate difference in people’s lives. I simultaneously applied in Hamilton and in Toronto. Toronto recruiters in 1977 were less than welcoming, while the sole Hamilton recruiter showed interest in me from the start.
How fit do you need to be?
Police officers need to be as fit as professional athletes. Not only is the job very physically demanding at times (often after being idle for long periods), but shift work and the emotional stresses of policing take a huge toll on one’s health if physical (and mental) fitness is not at its peak. It is now commonly accepted that being physically fit is good for everyone, regardless of what you do. This is especially true for police officers.
What satisfies you about your job?
I am often asked how I can work in such a high stress profession. My answer is simple: for a person who enjoys helping others, few professions offer as many opportunities. All the stress in the world immediately vanishes when I feel I have made a positive contribution to someone’s life.
I also enjoy the camaraderie and “esprit de corps” found in policing, as well as the fact that many people find policing to be exciting (it is no accident that most popular TV shows deal with policing). The job, by its very nature, is constantly changing. No two calls are alike, and having the opportunity to work in different areas of the Service keeps things fresh. That is why after 28 years I still enjoy coming to work.
What really surprises you about being a police officer?
After all these years there isn’t much that still surprises me. That doesn’t mean I’ve become complacent or disinterested, but in policing one comes to expect the unexpected. At the beginning of my career, however, there were many things that surprised me:
- The excessively negative attitude some people have towards police officers (to some we are just short of being monsters!)
- The excessively positive attitude some people have towards police officers (while to others we can do no wrong, painting us as heroes even when it is not deserved.)
- The fact that even people I had known most of my life did not recognize me in Uniform.
- The unrealistic expectations of people.
- How easy it is to make a difference in someone’s life- just show that you care a bit and, often, that is enough to get some people to make better choices.
- How much power some people think police officers have, compared to how little power we actually have because of accountability.
What do friends and family think of your work?
Early in my career there was much resistance from my immediate family about me becoming a police officer, partially due to the perception of police officers in my country of birth, Panama. I had to sell them on what policing was really about in Canada (not the perception of corrupt and inept police officers in Panama, nor the portrayal of police officers on TV as either bumbling fools or super heroes.)
I lost some so-called “friends” after I joined the Service. But I quickly learned that my true friends would still be there for me and, through my work, made lots of new ones.
Would you recommend a career in policing?
Yes I would, with the caution that any person considering it should be realistic about their expectations. Although it is a financially lucrative profession, the demands on police officers are so great that money should not be the sole motivator. I have seen some people who are not really suited to policing end up very miserable because they were motivated to join the Service by the wrong things.
Also, if you want to be a “hero” look elsewhere. Heroism is in doing a good job with no hidden agendas, in truly caring for people and giving of yourself when you are tired after working a 12 hour night shift, in helping others without any expectation of getting something back, in treating marginalized citizens who are shunned by everyone else, as if they were the Prime Minister and not some “dirty drunk”.
Policing requires a maturity few achieve early in life. The demands and expectations of the public are great. Policing is extremely rewarding for those with the desire to help people, not those who are driven by power or a need to exert their will on others.
Any questions? You can e-mail me at jlasso@hamiltonpolice.on.ca