News Photo by Julie Riddle Officer Terri Curtis leaves for her first day on the job as an Alpena Police Department officer, accompanied by her field training officer, Officer Andrew Smith.

ALPENA — Wednesday marked the first official day on the job for Officer Terri Curtis, the newest face at the Alpena Police Department.

“I’m excited to be out in the community and be known,” the new officer said, eager to begin her new role. “Officer Curtis … that’s just an exciting title.”

Curtis, a 2016 Rogers City High School graduate, completed Alpena Community College’s criminal justice program, then successfully completed the Kirtland Regional Police Academy at Kirtland Community College this past fall, graduating with honors. She was formally installed Monday, with Wednesday marking her first day in uniform as a patrol officer.

Curtis’s interest in law enforcement began in high school, her eagerness to make a mark on her community leading her to the criminal justice program at ACC. A natural peacemaker who was always good at de-escalating situations in her school years, Curtis felt her upbeat, energetic personality was a good fit for the profession.

One of only two women on Alpena’s police force, Curtis — also the youngest in the department — knows she will not always be accorded the authority that usually comes with the badge and the uniform.

Being an officer is a challenge for anyone, Curtis said, but females may have extra difficulty being taken seriously. An advantage to being female, though, is that women facing difficulty, such as those in domestic abuse situations, may be more comfortable talking to her than to a male colleague, she said.

As for her youth, Curtis sees it as a positive.

“I have a fresh slate,” she said. “They kind of can sculpt me into who they want me to be. I don’t have any bad habits from previous law enforcement. That’s a big plus.”

A four-month training period will help ease the transition from rookie into experienced patrol officer, Curtis said. For the first portion of her career, she’ll be accompanied by a field training officer, who will help her adjust to uniformed life. Her first year on the job will be an official probation period, during which she will be under the wing of everybody around her, Curtis said.

She considers the supervision a good thing.

“The last thing you want to do is be making mistakes,” she said, welcoming the oversight of her peers. “You want to be sure you’re doing everything by the book.”

Not all experiences on the job will be new, though. Curtis comes to APD carefully trained through hands-on experience in the police academy, where she and other officers-in-training received instruction in evasive driving, traffic stop techniques, first aid, and firearm handling, among other things.

Curtis, who has experience in using weapons through hunting excursions as she was growing up, especially appreciated the driving training, learning how to take sharp corners at high speeds and safely handle the intricacies of a patrol car.

While her new job is a serious one, Curtis appreciates the friendly atmosphere at police headquarters.

“They just have that spirit of, this is a happy place,” she said, sharing appreciation for the kindness of her fellow workers and the positive leadership of her new boss, Chief Joel Jett.

“I think his good vibes kind of rub off on everyone else,” she said.

Curtis’s first patrol day started with paperwork, and then she headed out in a patrol car to begin the first of many days of soaking up all she can learn about a job of great importance to the community.

“You’ve definitely got to be a sponge coming into this job, because there’s so much to learn,” Curtis said.

Alpena residents can expect to see Curtis around town, whether it’s making traffic stops, helping with special events, or just getting lunch. The bubbly, energetic officer can make conversation with anybody, she said, and is a patient listener.

Asked if she can be patient even when people are not so pleasant to her, Curtis laughed.

“I’m going to try,” she said.

The department, which took several months of research to find just the right candidate, is pleased with their choice, according to Lt. Eric Hamp.

“We are excited to welcome Officer Curtis to the APD family,” Hamp said. “Terri is a lifelong resident of Northeast Michigan who we feel will be a valuable asset to both the department and the City of Alpena.”

A brand-new career ahead, the new officer described her expectations for the next days and weeks with a winded-looking grin.

“It’s kind of an overwhelming process,” Curtis said, talking of the months of learning and leading ahead, “but that’s what I got myself into, and that’s what I want to do.”

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com.