DFW Lieutenant Says Education Is The Right Path To Success
Police help to ensure public safety; in order to do that, they must go through extensive training. Today's law enforcement personnel know that advanced education helps them stay one step ahead of the competition. Anthony Maranto is an administrative patrol lieutenant for the North Richland Hills Police Department. He spearheads special projects, provides training to officers and assists patrol supervisors to support beat officers.
Maranto earned his bachelor's degree in forest management, and worked for the Texas Forest Service as a district forester. He was responsible for wild land firefighting and coordinating aerial assets for fire spotting. He supervised timber-harvesting operations, site preparation, and replanting; assisted private landowners with management decisions; and facilitated federal aid for replanting.
He was in the Army Reserves and was called into active duty. As part of the 302nd Military Police Company, he conducted training for military police operations for combat and was responsible for conducting law enforcement operations and serving as a game warden during Gulf War I. This experience planted the seed of law enforcement and Maranto went to work for North Richland Hills Police Department.
He went through a series of promotions from patrol sergeant and traffic sergeant to administrative patrol lieutenant. He decided to pursue his master's degree in criminal justice. He had tried in the past, but life situations popped up and sidelined his pursuit. Maranto didn't give up. When his schedule permitted, he decided to try again. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in criminal justice from Tarleton State University.
"I noticed that in order to move up within the police department, the people who I was competing with had master's degrees. I wanted to level the playing field. The higher up you go, the more people you can affect. I would like to become a police chief," said Maranto.
"It is more than just a box checked off on a resume. When you go back to school, you learn to examine the various issues and problems that are facing police departments across the country. You are engaging in critical thinking and group discussions that get you to think in a different way. You don't just think of the operational side of the issues (how do we stop burglaries in a neighborhood); it gets you to think on the strategic side (how do we make sure the officers have the tools and the manpower to stop the burglaries)."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
