The Nightcrawlers: DeKalb police officers talk policing the night shift

DeKALB – When the sun sets and dusk rolls in, it’s those on the night shift at the DeKalb Police Department who answer the call of duty.

From responding to domestic calls and vehicular crashes to traffic stops, the mission generally remains the same for uniformed officers: help the community be and feel safe.

What differs, some say, is the issue of visibility, which may complicate the work of law enforcement authorities.

“It’s easier to see somebody during the day,” said DeKalb patrol officer Justin Hickman. “It might not be four officers that work at night. But again, I think, whether you’re on day shift here, afternoons or midnights, you got to be good at your job because the department asks a lot of us.”

“There’s different types of calls that you get at nighttime compared to the daytime. I would say you’re typically dealing with higher risk calls at nighttime, like DUIs, more violent stuff.”

—  Jonathan Bell, DeKalb police officer

Fellow officer Jonathan Bell said patrolling a nightshift may bring a greater degree of difficulty for DeKalb police.

“There’s different types of calls that you get at nighttime compared to the daytime,” Bell said. “I would say you’re typically dealing with higher risk calls at nighttime, like DUIs, more violent stuff. Whereas day shifts you’re typically dealing with business crimes, like retail thefts and deceptive practices.”

Working the night shift can stir a myriad of emotions as officers are patrolling the streets. When asked what keeps him going on long nights on the job, Bell said he likes to keep his family in the forefront of his mind. He said he tries to remember why he chose this profession.

“I would say, for one, my family, just making sure that I make it home to them every night,” Bell said. “If we’re going call to call, I would say the victims that are potentially out there. … just making sure that the citizens of DeKalb are as safe as possible for as long as I’m working.”

Hickman said his coping strategies might include yoga, meditation, music and family to get through long nights on a job that can drag.

Like many law enforcement agencies, the DeKalb Police Department has become as much of a family as it gets for brothers and sisters in blue.

Bell said he enjoys working and connecting with his colleagues, on and off duty.

“You quickly come to grow close with people that you work with, considering we spend more time at work away from our families than we do at home with our families,” Bell said. “It’s one of those things where it’s kind of like a brotherhood.”

Hickman and Bell said they continue to value their jobs as much as when they first came on board.