Burlington Police Officer Alek Ayer is all about driving, responding and making a difference in the community he serves.
“Most people say I love helping people. Everybody loves helping people. It’s the fact that you see your city change,” Ayer said.
Ayer comes to work every day aiming to achieve a goal. He said every year Burlington is becoming a safer and better place to live. While on the job, he is always putting the citizens of Burlington as the priority.
“If you can’t talk to people, you’re not going to get nowhere. You’ve got to be able to de-escalate people from hostile situations or just de-escalate them to get out of the house and just say, 'Hey, you can take a break for the night and come back to talk,'” Ayer said.
One day at a time, Ayer is hoping to combat misconceptions of law enforcement. He wants Burlington residents to know police are there to protect peace in the community.
“They think we ride around and pick on people," Ayer said. "I think some people think that. Nah. If i see a crime in progress or i see a violation i’m going to deal with it. It’s state law. We’re here to push state law because it’s our job."
Ayer said building community relationships is the first step in creating a safer community in order to bridge the gap between police and Burlington locals.
“They call and give tips. Without those tips we don’t arrest as many people and we don’t get them off the street,” Ayer said.