By Lea Kahn / Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — Like many young boys, Daniel Gladney watched as the police car cruised through his Lawrence Township neighborhood and wished he could be behind the wheel of the cruiser.
That childhood dream came true last month for the 23-year-old township resident, who began his career as one of the newest members of the Lawrence Township Police Department.
"I always wanted to do this since I was little," said Patrolman Gladney, whose first day on the job was Aug. 26. "I saw the policemen riding around town. When I went to Mercer County Community College and took some (criminal justice) classes, it got me more interested in it."
But first, Patrolman Gladney had to finish college. He earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Mercer County Community College, and then landed a job as a dispatcher at the Lawrence Township Police Department.
That experience as a police department dispatcher was invaluable, he said. It offered him a chance to see how the police department works from the inside, which only whetted his desire to become a police officer.
"I have always been attracted to being a police officer," Patrolman Gladney said. "I wanted to give back to the community and keep my community safe. I thought a good way to keep the town safe is if I became a police officer."
And like many police officers, Patrolman Gladney enjoys helping people. It’s a good feeling to be able to make someone’s life better, he said, adding that even as a dispatcher, he was able to tell callers that help — a police officer — was on the way.
The road to becoming a police officer meant a 22-week stop at the Burlington County Police Academy, which Patrolman Gladney said with a small laugh was "definitely an experience."
"I have never been through anything like that before," he said. "There were some fun moments and some not-so-fun moments. You have to go through it to know what it’s like. You have to be there at 6:30 a.m. and then you do physical training from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. It’s running, push-ups and sit-ups. I have always been a runner, but there were days and times when it was really hard."
Once physical training was over, it was on to the classroom where "they throw everything at you — the law, motor vehicle law, use of force," Patrolman Gladney said. It was "a ton of information" to learn in 22 weeks, he said, adding that he had to study every night.
The police academy also includes a week of firearms qualification, he said, admitting that he had never fired a gun before. Passing the firearms qualification is a requirement for completing the academy.
Patrolman Gladney graduated from the Burlington County Police Academy and began his new career as a police officer Aug. 26. For the past few weeks, he has been assigned to the Quaker Bridge Mall under the supervision of police Sgt. Michael Yeh.
"You get to do some enforcement and you get to walk around the mall and get to know the people in the stores," he said. "You keep an eye out for them. You get a little bit of everything inside the mall. At the mall, you fight crime. You deter crime."
Although Patrolman Gladney has been a police officer for less than a month, "it’s everything I thought it would be," he said. "You get to help people. The thing I like most is being able to talk to people and connect with people. You want to make sure everything is alright."

