Salary, schedule, the most frequent violations of immigrants: how a Ukrainian works as a policeman in Philadelphia

The United States is a country of immigrants, and law enforcement is no exception. They recruit representatives of national minorities who speak the languages ​​of the ethnic communities in a particular area. So in Philadelphia, where there are many immigrants from Ukraine, a former resident of Ternopil maintains order. What laws are often violated by Ukrainian immigrants, how much does an American policeman earn and whether he has a weapon, Vitaly Kobylyansky told Voice of America.

On almost every shift, Vitaly Kobyliansky, a police patrol in a Philadelphia suburb, has to deal with Ukrainians. Indeed, in this area, their concentration, especially new arrivals, is almost the highest in the United States.

Vitaly says that one of the most common offenses is driving while intoxicated.

“In Ukraine there is no minimum dose of alcohol in the blood that is allowed when driving. There should be no alcohol at all. There is also legal permission here. If your alcohol level is within the limit, you can drive. For our people, this is like permission to drive when they have been drinking, regardless of the dose,” says Vitaly. “And many offenses are related to this.”

He also notes that there is no template in the work of an American police officer, and here the main thing is an individual approach, preventive work and a desire to help, not punish.

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“If there is someone in the pre-trial detention cells, then you cannot go there with a weapon. It must be left in special storage rooms,” shares Vitaly.

He says that he likes working in Ukrainian society. He receives about $ 100 a year, which is a good salary for the United States. Now he has to work night shifts, which last 000 hours.

“No job is easy, every job challenges you to action,” he says.

Vitaly moved to the United States in the early 2000s. At first he worked as a truck driver and studied the language at the same time. He admits that he himself was surprised when he filled out an application to study at the police academy and successfully passed the exam in English.

“I wanted to fit in and live according to the standards of the country in which I live,” says the Ukrainian.

Training at the academy lasted 9 months, the first year and a half Vitaly worked as a patrol policeman in Philadelphia, then applied to move to the suburbs where the Ukrainian community is concentrated.

Iryna Mazur, Ukraine's honorary consul in Pennsylvania, says society has long needed a Ukrainian-speaking policeman.

“Immediately after I was appointed honorary consul, I came to our local police department, met the chief and told him about our Ukrainian society,” says Irina. “And she said that it would be nice to have a Ukrainian-speaking policeman.” Since we have a lot of Ukrainians, a lot of new arrivals, they don’t always know their rights, and they can’t always find a common language with the police,” says Irina.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

In addition to Vitaly, there is another representative of the post-Soviet space in the police. Alexander Sergeev from Kyrgyzstan. They have known Vitaly for more than one year. The department supports each other.

“He and I are the first police officers who speak community languages,” says Alexander. — There are a lot of Russian-speaking people here, we can communicate with them on a different level, because the mentality is still different. They don't understand some things, but we can explain them. Here you can work honestly as a policeman and come home and go to bed with a clear conscience.”

Talking about work, Vitaly emphasizes how protected and provided the American police are.

“Each car has its own workstation - a computer where you can write a report without leaving the car, and each car has a pump-action shotgun, an army weapon, each officer has a taser and a standard weapon, as well as a helmet and body armor for assault weapons,” - says the Ukrainian.

Vitaly adds that if you serve efficiently and professionally, then there will be no obstacles to self-development and career growth. That is why he hopes to get a senior position in the precinct in a few years.

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