Life as a Young Solo Patrol Officer at 21!

Clip from Episode 75.

Life as a Young Solo Patrol Officer at 21!

At 21-years-old Neill Martin, officer from Goodie PD shares his experiences of transitioning from training to patrolling alone. He discusses the challenges of working solo in a small Idaho department, how the field training process prepared him, and his reliance on support from the chief, prosecutor, and county detectives. How does this young officer manage the uncertainties and pressures of the job?

00:00 Starting Patrol at 21
00:51 First Solo Shift Experience
01:09 Dealing with Uncertainty
01:38 Gaining Confidence Post-Academy
01:59 Relying on Mentors

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Years of Service: 2019-Present

Neill began his career in law enforcement in 2019 as a reserve detention deputy in the Jerome County Jail. He was then hired full-time as a detention deputy for the Gooding County Jail. As Neill explains, the jail helped him learn how to talk to people who were going through difficult times.

In October of 2021, Niell was hired as a police officer for the Gooding Police Department. As a new officer, Neill handled typical patrol calls including traffic, domestic violence, and theft.

In 2023, as a result of staffing shortages, Neill was thrown into the deep end and was promoted to detective where he began investigating crimes such as sexual assault, child abuse, drug trafficking, and homicide.

In May of 2023, Neill was assigned his first homicide investigation. During this interview, Neill offers a candid assessment of what it is like to be a young detective, the steep learning curve, and relying on older more experienced detectives to help him with investigations.