Prem Menon Is The Lone Indian In The Colorado Police Department In The United States

Prem Menon, assistant manager,the sole Indian in the Colorado Police Department in the United States was covering for one of the employees who had phoned in sick at the gas station, along with his boss and five or six other employees. After a few hours, a car emerged from the night's eerie calm and came to a leisurely stop at the station, where young Prem was working behind the counter. The individual that walked out didn't appear to be very pleasant. He had no idea at the time that what was about to happen would impact his life forever.There were threats and abuses before Prem could realise what was going on. There were none of his coworkers present, and just as he was about to explain himself, a big blow struck on his face. He heard two words distinctly as he tumbled to the ground with a bloodied face of 'Iraqi terrorist.'

Prem was aware of what was going on. It was 2001, not long after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The fact that Prem was an Indian working late nights to supplement his income didn't matter to the man in front of him. He was so blinded by hatred that he mistakenly believed that all immigrants were terrorists.Prem, terrified but not out of his mind, managed to press the emergency button. Colorado State Police have a two-minute average response time. For the following odd 120 seconds, he had to defend himself against the attacker. The man, on the other hand, had different ideas. He returned to his car to get something. Prem had spent enough time in the United States to have a good idea of what would happen next. He raced into a restroom and locked himself in, praying for the cops to arrive.

The attacker elected to depart rather than risk arrest while attempting to smash through the bathroom door, therefore the situation did not escalate. And he accidentally opened the door for the Colorado State Patrol's 1400-strong force to gain another dedicated officer!Prem has made it his mission to combat hatred. The hapless youth from that night is now a contented husband, proud parent, and respected police officer with a nearly 16-year track record.Prem, a Kerala native, moved to the United States in 1997 to pursue his higher education. He enrolled at a Christian institution to study Missions and Ministry and worked part-time in the campus cafeteria. He was soon recruited as a dishwasher by a motel near school. Before becoming a front desk employee, he was promoted to become a server. He worked a variety of odd jobs to help fund his studies, which he finished around the turn of the millennium.

According to Prem, the programme is rigorous since it is designed to prepare you mentally and physically for a career as a police officer. All cadets must complete various training modules, which include procedures for investigation and interrogation, search and seizure, pistol training, and close contact fighting, among others. However, passing POST does not guarantee that you will be hired. Making yourself available for recruiting to various State Police and Sheriff's Departments is the next step.

For a year, all officers will be supervised by a senior officer in 10-hour shifts before being sworn in as police officers. They are only given their own car, body cam, guns, and other technologies after that. Furthermore, not everyone will make it, according to Prem, as some supervisors would fire people during this time.Not a gunfighter

Colorado residents will remember December 13th, 2013 as a dark day. Karl Pierson, then 18 years old, opened fire at Arapahoe High School, killing a fellow student before taking his own life. Seven minutes after the first shot was fired, Prem Menon's automobile was the second police unit to arrive at the school. The entire episode lasted less than two minutes, and there was nothing that could be done after that except control the throng.Prem compares being a cop in the United States to playing a survival mode video game. Flare-ups can happen at any point in time. As a result, officers like him must be mentally tough and ready to react when the circumstance calls for it.

Even after excluding the risk factor, police in the United States differs from that in India, he believes. Disrespect for citizens is a no-no, he remarked, recalling reading numerous accounts of police brutality in Kerala.Corruption and nepotism are uncommon, and political clout won't protect you from the law.

Prem keeps in touch with his roots through reading Malayalam news. He participates in Kerala-based social media groups, which keep him informed about current events and changes in his home state."When the epidemic struck, we had tickets planned to return home for a family reunion." The Omani government also urged my sister to avoid foreign travel. It was such a shame.