Bronson Tsarofski is a middle school-aged Little Leaguer/Boy Scout who lives in Seal Beach. Sometime several years ago, his father Stefan says that Bronson told him he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up. While not an uncommon dream for a young person, his father dismissed the dream as but a passing interest, which would likely be replaced by dreams of a big league baseball career or a professional video gamer. This was not to be the case. After several years of hearing of Bronson’s dream, Stefan says, “His mother and I can’t talk him out of it!” Obviously concerned for the safety of their son with the current state of law enforcement in the United States, they are none-the-less proud of his drive and commitment to others. Bronson is also indicating the right reasons for his desire to serve others. “It’s not like he wants to do it to have a fun job, he genuinely wants to help others and make a difference,” says his father.
Recently, Bronson was allowed, through a cooperative partnership with the Police Explorer Scout program, (An affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America) to participate in a Police Ride-a-Long. This was a memorable experience for the both of us.
He approached the event with the enthusiasm typically associated with events such as meeting a professional baseball player or a movie star. This was clearly a highlight of his young life. Quite a humbling experience for me as well, I might add! I took him around town, showed him the police station (The “behind the scenes” type of tour!), showed him the jail and even allowed him to use the Police Laser Gun as we watched traffic on Seal Beach Boulevard. He soaked it all up like a sponge.
As a public servant for the last nearly 30 years, I can honestly say that I am worried about the state of law enforcement for the future. The job is becoming increasingly complex and difficult, dangerous and loaded with public scrutiny. I worry that there will not be enough qualified young people to take these jobs. Fortunately, there are people like Bronson. I am amazed at the focused direction that Bronson has and am sure that one day, he will realize his dream and graduate from a police academy. I promised him that no matter where I live or what I am doing, I will proudly return and be sitting in the audience as Bronson has his badge pinned to his shoulder.
