Women In Policing
Lieutenant
Lynn Koliboski
Lieutenant Koliboski has been with the Mesa Police Department
since 1989. Her assignments include Patrol Officer, Community
Relations Officer, Property Crimes Detective, Patrol Sergeant,
Arizona POST COPS Grant Sergeant, Recruiting Sergeant, Property
Crimes Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Administration Lieutenant,
and Aviation Lieutenant. Below are some questions we asked
Lieutenant Koliboski reference her experiences with the Mesa
Police Department.
What made you want to get into
a career in Law Enforcement?
Variety of
opportunities and most importantly - Job Security.
What concerns did your family and friends have with you
becoming a police officer and did their concerns change after
successful completion of your training?
Major concern
was the "danger." However, once I completed the training it
seems as if opinions changed.
Did you find it hard
to compete with male officers during the academy and FTO
program?
I didn't feel as if I was competing with
anybody due to the fact that the standards were the same for
everybody. Provided that the scores were 70% or greater,
everybody had the same chance. Women like everybody else need
to prove themselves on the job. Provided that you know how to
do the job and handle your assigned tasks, nobody will
second-guess you or your abilities.
How do you
balance the scale between family life and shift work?
I have a very supportive husband that has been willing to alter
his work schedule in order for us to care for our children.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation you could
not handle because you were a female?
Not because of
size or strength, but because the individual that I was dealing
with preferred not to deal with me.
Did you have
any issues getting hired and how did you cope with the academy
physical fitness requirements?
I had no problems
during the hiring process. As for the academy, I was able to
complete all of the requirements; however; I did have
difficulties keeping the pace on the runs. The pace that the
class kept was much quicker than my stride and I often fell
behind.
What do you feel you bring to Mesa PD
because of being a female officer?
Women look at
situations from a very different point of view. We problem solve
differently and we interact differently. I still enjoy working
with newer employees and that is why I continue to be a career
advisor. I would like to think of myself as a mentor for new
female officers because I enjoy interacting with them and
encouraging them with their career goals.
Do you
feel that Mesa PD is a diversified department and should the
department seek harder to hire more female officers?
As the former Recruiting Sergeant I understand the difficulty of
finding interested and qualified female candidates. I believe
that we are doing as much as the City of Mesa budget will allow
us.
Give one example of a situation where being a
female officer helped defuse the situation?
Numerous
domestic disputes.
What is your most memorable
experience as a police officer?
Too many to mention.
When I hired on with the department I did not think that I could
"save the world," I was very realistic. I set my sights on
making at least one person happy per shift, whether it was
assisting them on a call, giving directions or answering a
question. I still have that same theory today.
Do
you feel the department has been supportive in assisting you to
reach your career goals?
Absolutely!
What advice would you give to women who want to become
police officers?
Go for it!
If you would like
to contact Lieutenant Koliboski, please send her an e-mail at
Lynn.Koliboski@Mesaaz.gov,
For questions regarding the Hiring or Testing process, e-mail
police.jobs@mesaaz.gov.