Growing up, playing basketball in the NBA was always my dream. I trained relentlessly and was a top ten prospect in 2011 when I graduated high school in the Houston, Texas area. After graduating from college, I continued my basketball journey by playing overseas in Spain but that was cut short. I had to find a career that was better for my family when I discovered I had a child on the way. While speaking to a police officer about what the job entailed, I realized that law enforcement may be the next best thing to being a professional athlete and I decided to apply. I found out that not only was it a reliable career and that you can have an impact on people’s lives, but you also are part of a team and have teammates you work alongside day and night. You meet up before your shift for briefing, which is like meeting up before the games to discuss strategies. Through this journey I found a family and different people that I come to work with every day and we all have a common goal: to make a positive impact in the community, on lives and make it home safely each day to our immediate family. Personally, if I wasn’t for the Irving Police Department, I don’t know what I would be doing. This has not only benefitted me but also the people around me.
Email Officer Hoyce Mitchell