Philip Pollen, 38

Occupation: Corporal & Mental Health Officer with the Clermont Police Department

What I do: I work in the mobile crisis unit and am the team leader for the hostage negotiations team.

How I got started: My original plan was to go to medical school but I faced financial challenges along the way. I was an active volunteer firefighter/EMT in New Jersey with no way to responsibly pay for schooling. I decided to enter law enforcement in an effort to continue to help people in 2011. I joined the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department and later moved to Florida.

I’m passionate about law enforcement because: People in law enforcement are problem-solvers. Coming from a slightly different beginning, I like to solve problems, but not before completely understanding how they started in the first place. Being able to fully conceptualize the issue and implement a plan to improve someone’s life is very fulfilling to me.

My biggest professional accomplishment: Part of my job is educating officers on mental health and de-escalation. I’ve been able to use what I’ve learned over the years and knowledge I’ve gained from being married to a licensed mental health counselor to teach officers to take a trauma-informed approach when speaking with people in crisis. I feel using these communication skills will lead to improvement not only in police outcomes but in the officers’ personal lives.

When I’m not helping the community: In my personal time, I play Dungeons and Dragons. I have a group of friends my wife and I made throughout the community that get together twice a week. As part of this, I 3D print and paint figures as well as write stories for characters. When I’m not playing or planning D&D, I’m writing my book, Critical Hits: Rolling Through Life with Mindfulness and Purpose.

My first job: Before I was old enough to enter the workforce, I would “work” for my father. He was a surgeon and I would help file. I think I mostly just got in the way while playing with gloves and tools. My first real job was at a furniture store called The Bombay Company, where I mostly worked in the stockroom.

My local mentor: Besides my actual therapist who helps shape who I am, I’d have to say I look up to the people who are in a tougher spot than me and keep fighting to do the right thing. There is no one person specifically, but I am continually amazed at the resilience I see in people who have very little compared to me. It shows me that value doesn’t have to be external as long as you know you are trying your best.

The best advice I have received: I wasn’t directly given this advice but rather something I’ve learned to do from watching people I respect. I summed it up while speaking to someone in crisis: I treat people based on the content of my character, not theirs. This forces me to remain true to myself and not let others influence what kind of person I am.

Fun fact: Despite my whole job depending on me to communicate, I am very introverted and comfortable with silence. I find silence to be healing.

If I had a million dollars to give away: There are so many great organizations doing phenomenal things for people. A million dollars would make a difference no matter where I chose. In true Phil fashion, I’ve overthought this. If I bought a pizza and brought it to an event being attended by 1,000 people, it’s a nice gesture. If I bought a pizza for one struggling family, I can feed an entire family. Donating $1 million to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will help an established organization continue their great work, however, donating $1 million to a small and local non-profit would change lives — maybe something like GCCF (Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation).

Life after 40: I’m a lifelong learner. I plan on collecting more degrees and building onto what I’ve created in law enforcement. Beyond law enforcement, I see myself ending up in research and maybe influencing policy changes to improve access to services.