Forest Park Police Officer Krista Katsaounis: Even at an early age I had a strong sense of right and wrong. Observation of others' behavior and my surroundings came very natural to me. Ironically, I seemed to be in the right place at the right time (depending on how you look at it of course). The combination of these characteristics made it "normal" for me to catch shoplifters and chase down a fleeing burglar after witnessing him break in a house, all by the early age of 12.

After receiving a Citizenship Award at a Clermont County Police Recognition Banquet Dinner, my aspirations to be part of the police force progressively increased.

Cincy Chic: You received the Gun Recovery Award in 2006 and 2007. What specific actions did you take to qualify for that award, and why was it so important to you to do what you did?

Katsaounis: To earn the Gun Recovery Award, I led the Forest Park Police Department in arrests and prosecution of criminals for firearm related offenses. Our department is unique with this award and instead of a trophy or certificate, officers are awarded "dog tags." Each dog tag has the officer's name, the date that a firearm was recovered, and the type of firearm that was recovered for which an individual was arrested and prosecuted. Each dog tag is a wonderful reminder to me that safety always comes first.

Cincy Chic: You instructed the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program this past school year in the Winton Woods School District. How does that experience tie into our safety issue?

Katsaounis:Safety has to be a priority to me every day in my profession. It is also so important that young people recognize and understand when they are in a potentially dangerous or dangerous situation and how to make positive choices to be safe.

Cincy Chic: As a D.A.R.E. officer, you also implemented a program for the severely handicapped students. Why was this an important endeavor for you and the community as a whole?

Katsaounis: Implementation of the D.A.R.E. program for the severely handicapped students was one of the best additions to our D.A.R.E. program. I felt that ALL students could benefit from the D.A.R.E program. It was important to me that we had 100 percent graduation from the D.A.R.E. program, including the severely handicapped students.

The curriculum was altered for their level of learning and was successful. An amazing bond between students and police was created. I instructed rules for safety and practice safety techniques, we role-played how to handle strangers and role-played calling 911 in case of an emergency, along with many other lessons. I gave the students a tour of my police cruiser and explained all of my police tools.

The severely handicapped students graduated from D.A.R.E. with their fellow classmates and we achieved 100 percent graduation. It was important to me that ALL of the students graduate together.

Cincy Chic: You promote safety as your career, so what are some words of wisdom you have learned from experience about safety?

Katsaounis: The best advice that I can give about safety is to FOLLOW YOUR GUT FEELING. It seems that women in particular regularly have a "gut feeling" if something is dangerous or unsafe but don't always follow it. I have talked to many women who have been victimized, and the majority will say that they had a "bad feeling" but didn't follow their instincts. So many women don't follow their gut instincts in fear that they may appear rude to someone or that "it will never happen to me" thought process. I often get the "gut feeling" when I may be in an unsafe situation, and I believe that following that instinct has made me a better police officer.

Cincy Chic: What do you like most about your job?

Katsaounis: Some days, I'm amazed that I get paid to have an occupation that I truly enjoy. I love being proactive by taking guns and drugs off the streets and making the community of Forest Park a safer place. There is also an amazing camaraderie within the Forest Park Police Department and a closeness among officers that is comparable to having a second family. It's a pleasure to be part of a group of individuals with such integrity and dedication to reducing crime and making the City of Forest Park safer.

Cincy Chic: Once your badge comes off what do you like to do for fun?

Katsaounis: I love spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, attending sporting events and concerts, weight lifting, running, playing racquetball, and playing soccer.

Cincy Chic: What is your favorite thing about Cincinnati?

Katsaounis: Living in Cincinnati is wonderful! I love to see the changes in each season, participate in the flying pig, attend the Reds and Bengals games, and go to our amazing zoo. The added bonus is that the majority of my family is here in Cincinnati, and it doesn't get much better than that.

Linda Palacios
		About the author:
		Linda Palacios, an East-side native, is the editor of Cincy Chic. Send her an e-mail at lpalacios@cincychic.com.
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Last update: 29-06-2009 14:50

Published in : Magazine Items, Social