d (Unique Ootteept an
Young Gun
Young, Jewish, twentysomething and female
on Detroit's police force.
JULIE WEINGARDEN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
y day she sports the basic Jewish leaving for school. She attends class until
twentysomething look — dark hair, 3:30 p.m. then zips back to Detroit to do a
worn jeans and black boots.
little homework before starting the cycle
By night, her fashion statement all over again.
is navy blue polyester, bullet-proof vest
Upon learning of her career switch,
and a 40-caliber semiautomatic Glock pis- some people made disbelieving comments
tol.
like, "Yeah, right — a Jewish woman
Jodi Steinberg is a cop. At 26, she hits wanting to be a police officer." Her par-
the streets of Detroit nightly, as a beat po- ents were worried initially, but now they
lice officer for the First Precinct.
are proud of their law-enforcing daugh-
Which makes you wonder: What's a ter. Knowing it meant so much to her
nice Jewish girl doing working such a overrode her parents' worries, Jodi says.
A self-described "expert shooter" and an
dangerous job — and the power shift, no
avid exerciser, schedule permitting, Jodi -
less?
Whether by foot or by motorcycle, Jodi admits that she sometimes fears for her
patrols the Greektown area
from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. And
believe it or not, the late-
night shift was her idea.
"I wanted to work during
the busiest time — I like
more action," says Jodi who
graduated from a police
academy consisting of a 22-
week-plus military-type
training program last May.
"I also chose Detroit because
I wanted to learn a lot right
from the start. There is more
to see, do and learn in De-
troit than in the suburbs."
The Walled Lake Central
High School graduate
worked as a dental assistant
for eight years before real-
izing she was tired of teeth.
"In the back of my mind,
becoming a police officer is
something I always wanted
to do. When I was in junior
high, something inside of me
clicked. I like to help people
— it makes me feel good
about myself," she says.
"I also wanted a job that
is not repetitive and could
offer me independence. This
job has good benefits."
Jodi has since gone back
to school and is a few weeks Jodi Steinberg: Making the streets of Detroit safe.
away from graduating from
Oakland Community Col-
lege with an associate's degree in criminal life — but only when looking back on an
event that already happened.
justice.
"At the time [of a confrontation] you are
"I wanted my degree [for] myself; I knew
it would help with advancement opportu- just reacting to the situation and trying to
nities in the department," says Jodi, who protect yourself," she explains.
Despite being a minority on the force,
wants eventually to be an investigator.
But for now, she plans to stick with school Jodi does not feel as though she is treated
to complete a bachelor's degree in crimi- any differently because she is Jewish or
nal psychology. And not only does she work female.
"It doesn't matter what religion or race
downtown — she lives there. Despite De-
troit's rough reputation, Jodi says she feels your are. I handle myself professionally,
and I have never had any problems," Jodi
safe.
"In the summer, it's great because it's says.
Her greatest thrill on the job is when
right on the river," she says. The only neg-
ative is the 40-minute commute to and she is at the right place at the right time
and able to stop something from happen-
from school.
A typical day starts at twilight. Jodi ing.
"It's preventative. Even if it's just
leaves for work at 7 p.m. and arrives by
one person you've helped, it's a life," says
7:45 p.m. for roll call. Four a.m. and it's
Jodi. ❑
time for bed. By noon, Jodi's awake and
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