# "Outlaw" Officer Draws Jabs



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Herald & Review (Decatur, IL) (KRT)*
_via NewsEdge Corporation_

Jan. 11--SPRINGFIELD -- There was a time when a person's name reflected his occupation, which is why phone books are filled with Smiths, Bakers and Carpenters.

Sgt. Freddie Outlaw of the Illinois State Police flies in the face of that ancient custom.

Because of the obvious clash with his profession, he has been subjected to merciless joking and teasing since he arrived at the Illinois State Police Academy 16 years ago.

There are even people who question the authenticity of the word etched on his name tag.

"They say, 'That's not your real name,'" said Outlaw, 38, an assistant squad leader for the Illinois State Police's Division of Internal Investigations.

Outlaw, a cheerful, articulate man, possesses the easy-going personality required to pursue a career with a last name guaranteed to bring a lifetime of ribbing.

A 1985 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School, Outlaw said he decided to become a police officer while attending Kentucky State University. He applied to the state police while still in college, taking the required exams in Springfield several months before his graduation.

"That was the first place I applied," Outlaw recalled.

Outlaw, who turned down a job offer from the Michigan State Police, had good reason to be confident that the Illinois State Police would hire him.

He was an outstanding student athlete in college, a co-captain on the Kentucky State basketball team. He earned the team's academic award for highest grade point average his senior year, and was named Mr. Hustle both his junior and senior years.

As a young man, Outlaw held a positive view of police officers in general -- two of his uncles were on the Nashville, Tenn., department -- and he especially admired Illinois State troopers.

"They seemed a cut above an average police officer," Outlaw said. "They held themselves to a higher standard. I wanted to be a part of that."

Outlaw, who occasionally represents the state police at community events for young people, said he would like to see more African-Americans consider working in law enforcement.

"A lot of African-Americans and other youths have the wrong idea of police officers," he said. "They might say, 'I don't like those pigs.'"

Outlaw attributes the negative views of the police to media images of police brutality and unpleasant encounters with police.

"Some are raised in environments in which family members get in trouble with police. They see police coming in to arrest their mother or father all the time. If they hate the police, their kids will hate the police." Outlaw said his parents, Freddie and Gertie Outlaw, both retired industrial workers, instilled strict discipline in him.

"The police never had to respond to a dispute in my house, so I didn't have a very negative view of the police."

Outlaw said he especially enjoys working for the state police because there are so many different kinds of jobs available. He originally envisioned himself spending his entire career as a road trooper.

"Once I got familiar with the department I saw there were a lot of other things I could do," he said. "Once I saw there were other opportunities, I saw I wanted to be an instructor, I wanted to teach."

In addition to serving as a trooper for seven years, he has also worked as a special agent, the equivalent of a detective, and the academy's physical fitness instructor. He was promoted to sergeant in November 1998, while working at the academy.

Outlaw recently completed a six-month assignment as cadet coordinator for the State Police Academy.

He was recommended for the position by Col. Harold "Skip" Nelson, director of the division of internal investigations.

Nelson said it is considered a high honor to be selected as coordinator at the academy, requiring an officer who is considered an excellent role model for cadets.

"We needed someone with the leadership skills to lead and develop the new class of police officers," he said.

In his regular job, Outlaw is a diligent, painstaking investigator, who draws from a wealth of experience, Nelson said.

"I can't say enough about him," he said. "He is a role model, a mentor to a lot of younger investigators. He worked at investigations related to gangs."

The division is charged with investigating allegations of wrongdoing at more than 60 state agencies, boards and commissions, in addition to complaints against state police officers. It handles about 500 cases each year.

Nelson predicts Outlaw, who worked long hours as a cadet coordinator, has an excellent future with the state police.

"Everybody likes Freddie," Nelson said. "He's very cordial, very collegial. People love to work with him."

Serving as cadet coordinator stirred memories of Outlaw's own training experiences.

When Outlaw attended the academy, the session lasted 20 weeks. Wake up was 5:30 each morning, with classes beginning at 8 sharp. The training is patterned on Marine boot camp, complete with marching drills. He and fellow cadets considered graduating from the academy a greater accomplishment than finishing college.

"In college, if you didn't feel like going to class you didn't hear anyone screaming in your ear, barking your head off."

The academic requirements were also challenging, with a great deal of information to memorize.

And there was always the joking about his name.

"I really caught hell for having that last name," Outlaw said. "They never gave me a break. The instructors and counselors would say, 'Why would you want to be a trooper? Your last name is Outlaw. Were your family criminals?'"

"I enjoyed it. I never took offense at it. It is an odd name to have in my profession. People joke about it all the time."

Huey Freeman can be reached at [email protected] or 421-6985.


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