Chris Smith was only 7 years old when he met Officer Jason West. His kindness inspired him to become a law enforcement officer.
Current position: Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Protective Services, responsible for county property and adult probations, based predominately at the Cleveland Justice Center. Ohio National Guard, military funeral honors.
Education: Heights High, 2017, recipient of the Jason West Scholarship. Attending Cleveland State University, majoring in criminology, graduation is 2023.
Favorite thing about your job: I like to assist people. Part of my role at the Justice Center is to direct visitors. Many people who come to the building are not there for a positive reason and they are often under stress. I direct them and try to be a calming influence.
What would you say to current high school juniors and seniors who are considering a career in criminal justice field? I would encourage students to enter the field. Everyone has an opportunity and obligation to make their communities a better place and you need to participate to do that. The field is short staffed and we need young people with fresh ideas to make it more inclusive and better.
What are your career goals? My short term goal is to become a Cuyahoga County deputy sheriff. My long term goal is to be an investigator for the sheriffs office and eventually a member of the Ohio Bureau of Investigations.
What did it mean to receive a scholarship from the Officer Jason D. West Scholarship Fund? It meant a lot to me because Officer West was someone who I had met when I was seven years old. It was a week before he was killed, I was walking home from school with my grandfather. Officer West was in his parked patrol car, he talked to us and let me sit in the car and and work the lights. I will always remember that small act of kindness. You never know the lasting impact of a small kind gesture.