Guest Speaker Dale Williams captivated the ears of Criminal Justice students last Friday, he spoke of his six years in the Dallas Police Department, one year in Border Patrol, and 23 years in the United States Marshal Services. 

“I learned about the U.S. Marshal Service and all of the different services they provide,” Freshmen Caroline Johnson said. “It was interesting to hear about all of the adventures he went on. I especially liked the story about the bullet hitting his shirt but not entering his body.”

He went into more detail about his process through the U.S. Marshal Services and the sacrifices he had to make to accomplish his goals.

“I started out by graduating high school and I completed my bachelor science degree. From there I got on with the Dallas Police Department and went through the Police Academy,” Williams said. “Some friends of mine that have gone in through federal law enforcement knew I wanted to do that too so they explained to me it’s good to get in somewhere to get your foot in the door instead of trying to get in from the outside. So I went to Border Patrol, went through their academy for 18 weeks, and stayed with it for about a year.” 

Students who may not be interested in the Marshal Services may still have picked up some valuable information from Williams because it still gives an insight into what is out there for them according to Criminal Justice teacher Kay Bachert.

“I believe all of my students benefit from all of our guest speakers whether they are interested in going into a career path related to law or not,” Bachert said. “To hear straight from people working these jobs that may or may not be depicted correctly on the news, on TV, and in movies. To get a practical first-hand view of what these careers entail gives everyone more information about the law and how it affects their lives.”  

Williams also told the class he taught a Criminal Justice class at Lindale High School for six years and notices potential when he sees it. 

“I hope that if students didn’t think of law enforcement as a career I planted that seed,” Williams said. “There are many different areas of law enforcement that you can go into. I know for some of my previous students some have gone into game wardens and dispatchers. Just stick with it.”