Detective Carol Gomez

Detective Carol Gomez - Homicide Detective

Detective Gomez has been with the Mesa Police Department since 1997.  Her assignments include Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Property Crimes Detective, Violent Crimes Detective, and Homicide Detective.  Detective Gomez is also certified as a Drug Recognition Expert.  Below are some questions we asked Officer Gomez reference her experiences with the Mesa Police Department.    

• What made you want to get into a career in Law Enforcement?

Wanted a career that would be physical and rewarding.

• 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?

Family had concerns about my safety as an officer, but supported me the entire time through the process.  They still support me.     

• Did you find it hard to compete with male officers during the academy and FTO program?

I did not have any difficulty competing with male officers in the academy or FTO.  I was always treated with respect and as an equal.

• How do you balance the scale between family life and shift work?

Try not to dwell on the work aspect of the job while I am at home.  Separate the job from home life.

• Have you ever found yourself in a situation you could not handle because you were a female?

No.

• Did you have any issues getting hired and how did you cope with the academy’s physical fitness requirements?

The academy was demanding physically, but I had support of my family and my squad to keep me motivated.

• What do you feel you bring to Mesa PD because of being a female officer?

Understanding and maybe a little more compassion with the ordinary citizen.   

• Do you feel that Mesa PD is a diversified department and should the department seek harder to hire more female officers?

We can always use more female officers.

• Give one example of a situation where being a female officer helped defuse the situation?

Sometimes women offenders can identify with female officers and confide in them.  For example, a woman in an abusive relationship might confide in a female officer of the abuse because she might think they would understand.

• What is your most memorable experience as a police officer?

Working the serial shooter case with Phoenix PD, ATF, and Scottsdale PD.

• Do you feel the department has been supportive in assisting you to reach your career goals?

Yes.

• What advise would you give to women who want to become police officers?

It they are really interested in the job the opportunity is there.  Be prepared for the physical challenges and realize that hard work will be noticed.

If you would like to contact Detective Gomez, please send her an e-mail at
Carol.Gomez@cityofmesa.org

For questions regarding the hiring or testing process, contact police.jobs@cityofmesa.org