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DISCIPLINED AND DETERMINED nD r. Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D.
Remember when you first imagined your vision for your life? High school days were clouded with juggling daily assignments and a mountain of neverending tasks. Fast forward to your high school graduation. What was your decision about your life after graduation? Did you follow what you said you wanted to do when you were in elementary, middle, or high school? Or did you completely forget about what you wanted because you felt it was impossible, would take too long, or you simply didn't know what step to take first? Sometimes we dream about what we want to do, and the 10 • Benicia Magazine
reality of what it takes to achieve that goal becomes overwhelming. That is when we need to make a list of what we want and take steps daily towards attaining our goal. Dreams were lost and born during the pandemic shutdown. The workforce took a hit. Education, health care, and policing faced unimaginable challenges, causing many to leave the professions. While many chose retirement or a different career path, some still decided to stick to their career of choice. At the same time, organizational leaders and policymakers sought ways to do things better, such as creating transparency for the public they serve and hiring and maintaining
professionals across various fields. Police departments across the nation began looking at ways to create transparency in policing and to make efforts to connect with citizens. For example, the Berkeley California Police Department has developed the Berkeley Police Transparency Hub, an interactive data tool used to track all interactions that officers have with citizens. In addition, the department has community liaisons to cover their service areas, providing another layer of communication for citizens. Benicia's John Lewis III, hired by the Berkeley Police Department, recalls his desire to become a police officer early in his life.
