Officer Erin Lance has been with the Airway Heights Police Department for two months and she has described her time so far as "a perfect fit."
"Out of the four departments I've been with so far, this is what I'm looking for," Lance, who has worked in law enforcement for 17 years, said. "There are enough calls for service, but you can still be proactive. You can work on your cases from start to finish."
Lance, who was born and raised in Montana, was drawn to law enforcement after she watched the 1991 movie "Silence of the Lambs," and wanted to become an FBI agent. She started going on ride alongs with the Missoula Police Department when she was 14 years old.
"I kind of faded away from wanting to be an FBI agent after that," Lance said. "When I was 18 I worked in loss prevention, catching shoplifters. Some of my friends in high school were jealous because they didn't know what they wanted to do. I already had my sights set on my career."
After she graduated high school, Lance studied law enforcement at North Idaho College. She was hired at the Coeur d'Alene Police Department before she graduated from NIC in 1999.
Lance said her first day as a police officer consisted of providing crowd control during an Aryan Nations rally.
"We had to physically remove some of the protestors," Lance said. "One guy tried to sue us for $1 million. It was an exciting job, I love the adrenaline. Even after 17 years, I still love patrolling the streets."
Lance took time away from law enforcement after her sons were born. Now that her children are older, Lance said they see and understand the nation's current perception of police and the current dangers she and her husband, who is also in law enforcement, face every day.
"But they know this is what I love to do," she said. Lance added that her schedule at Airway Heights allows her to spend more time with her family.
Lance resumed her career after she heard of a job opening at the Liberty Lake Police Department. After two years in Liberty Lake, she transferred to the Spokane International Airport Police Department where she worked for four years. While Lance said working at the airport was good, she missed going out on calls and being proactive in the community, and applied to Airway Heights.
Since Lance started at Airway Heights, she has noticed the amount of support that law enforcement receives from the community. She said residents are happy to see officers show up when they call and take their case.
"I think a lot of really good people see the struggles we (as police officers) go through in our careers," Lance said. "When we're out, people see us and give us 'thank you' notes. Even when we're out on calls, people thank us."
Being at Airway Heights has also given Lance the opportunity to work alongside other agencies, such as the Kalispell Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol.
Besides the excitement she gets, Lance said she enjoys working with her fellow officers and feels she is "fulfilling her purpose."
Now that she's had two months at Airway Heights under her belt, Lance said she will continue to focus on "getting to know the community," and follow up with her cases.
"In the future, if I ever get tired of road work, there's the opportunity for a promotion," Lance said.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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