Officer Joseph Pulido and I drove around El Dorado Park and began talking.
“See how they all look? They’re guilty of something. Just joking, just joking,” Pulido said. “They just don’t like cops. You’ll find out real quick a lot of people don’t like us.”
Pulido then started to describe his approach to calls.
“It’s how you talk to people. As a police officer, I try to treat everybody the way I want to be treated.
“Every officer is different.” Pulido said. “Some officers like to be right away authoritative.
“I try to be a cop that is easygoing, this job being as stressful as it is, you know,” Pulido said. “Some people get all amped up in this job. I stay easygoing, cracking jokes, things like that.”
Earlier in the night, Matthew Viera, our photographer, and I drove to the Fresno State Police Department about 7:45 p.m for our ride along. Due to my nervousness, we hardly spoke while we waited in the room and my bladder began to ache. I believe the show “Cops” had something to due with my sudden anxiety.
Officer Pulido greeted us around 8 p.m., and I asked him if I could use the facilities. He said he trusted me and let me into the back room.
We then met with Sgt. Ted Guerrero and discussed certain stipulations for the ride along. After the ground rules were set, we walked outside to Pulido’s car and discussed safety. The most prominent things I took away from the talk was to run behind the police car if shots were fired and to not chase after a fleeing suspect.
Pulido usually arrives early to the 6:30 p.m. briefing with Guerrero. They discuss information they need to know regarding prior incidents that occurred on or around campus.
There are four patrol cars for the night shift, which lasts for 12 hours. Some small cities only have one or two patrol cars.
Pulido said things don’t pick up until midnight, and the majority of calls are property theft crimes and public intoxication.
The night shift’s jurisdiction extends one mile from campus, but their main priority is the campus.
“My main priority always is the students, the campus.” Pulido said. “I am always thinking about that as my main priority, student safety.”
During our ride along, Pulido made about seven stops.
After the first stop, Pulido talked about his background. He attended Fresno City Police Academy, and after he graduated he was a reserve officer for the Fresno Police Department. He was then hired by the Fresno State Police Department.
“Hopefully when you guys graduate, you find something you guys love to do,” Pulido said. “Not many people like nights, but I do.”
Guerrero said nothing is routine in his line of work, and each experience is unique in one way. He encourages more students to participate in the ride along program to show them their world and how they interact with the public.
“I wish students showed more of an interest,” Guerrero said about the ride along program. “It lets them see we are people.”
Students can fill out an application for the ride along program at: https://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/police/patrol/ride-along/