1. Name of Officer: Bennie Cooks

2. Education: Longview High School: Class of 1991

3. Home town: Longview, TX

4. Prior job experience if any: Manager at Fast Lube

5. How do you feel when you put on your uniform each day? Still excited most of the time and waiting to see what happens that day.

6. People don’t often understand how hard police officers work to keep citizens safe, what inspired, you to become a protector of the community and can you tell us if any daily risks you’ve seen or experienced. I enjoy dealing with people. I had a good friend that was an officer and I figured I could do it too. It’s a daily risk just leaving home in uniform.

7. What is a misconception you have seen that the public have about the Police? That you work for a “quota”. That’s illegal….

8. As a Police officer, what do you want your legacy to be? I don’t really worry about a legacy. I do this because this is what I chose to do and not be famous or a hero.

9. What was one of your toughest days on the job. I responded to a double homicide of a young girl and her daughter. I knew the family personally.

10. How does your family feel about you being a police officer? They are good with it. I think they like it more than me (LOL).

11. Police officers work long hours and the work is very stressful, how do you like to relax? I like fishing and just getting away from the rat race.

12. If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing what would it be? I should have done this at an earlier age.

13. In a time when pop culture encourages not co-operating with police officers, can you expand on the dangers this causes? Some people have negative things about everything so we can only do the right thing and let God do the rest.

14. As a champion of the community and symbol of justice how can we as a community better support the police? This community has been good to our department. I just want to say Thanks to the community and please continue to support the police department.

15. Do policemen really like donuts? Well YEAH! Everybody likes donuts!