What are your biggest pet peeves in your job?

Dishonesty and lack of accountability. Everyone makes a mistake or inadvertently commits an infraction such as speeding from time to time. If you get caught, apologize and take responsibility. By taking responsibility you are also setting a good example for children and other family members who may be watching you interact with the police officer.

Have you ever been tased?

Yes. It was very painful. I am, however, very glad this is a tool we now carry that gives us (police officers) another method to safely apprehend people trying to harm us and others.

What is the hardest thing about being a police officer?

I don’t think I can clearly answer that, as the job of a police officer presents many different challenges every day. The answer I give to anyone looking to get into law enforcement is that one of the hardest things about this job is getting used to the hours of shift work. As a police officer, I’ve had to miss many birthdays, weddings, holidays and other social engagements due to my choice in profession. Though I am very proud of the work I do, it is still a hard sacrifice to make.

What should I do if I find a stray animal?

A: First of all, be careful. Animals can be dangerous and not all are friendly. I would suggest you call animal control and alert them of the stray animal. If the animal is friendly and does not have a collar with a proper ID tag, you can transport the animal to a local vet (i.e. Mercy Vet – Mercer Island) or transport the animal to a local animal hospital that takes stray animals (Aerowood Animal Hospital – Bellevue). If those options do not work for you, you can call the police department, and we will try to make arrangements to identify the animal and reunite them with their owners. Though we encourage people to use animal control, we want you to remember we (the police department) are always here to help.

Have a question for Officer Jira? Write to him at Rob.Jira@mercergov.org.