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KSMU is dedicated to broadcasting critically important information as our community experiences the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, you'll find our ongoing coverage.

Through Pandemic And Protests, Springfield Police Officer Struggles To Leave Job At The Door

Austin Faulconer

It’s five o’clock in the afternoon. Most people are getting off work around this time and winding down for the day. But for officer Austin Faulconer, five o’clock means it’s time for him to start his shift patrolling the streets of Springfield in his squad car.

Faulconer says he works until 3 AM – a ten hour shift he fills by responding to 911 calls. He says he sometimes gets up to 30 calls a shift.

“You know that ranges from traffic accidents, stealing, assaults, domestic situations, really just the typical 911 calls,” Faulconer told KSMU.

Faulconer has been with the Springfield Police Department for five and a half years. He grew up in Tennessee, and says he wanted be a police officer since he was kid. He applied for the SPD while he studied at Drury University. He says his favorite part of the job is the people he interacts with. He says the stories he hears on duty keep him coming back each night.

“I think the bonds that you make with people who work here, and honestly, the people that you meet on the street," he said. "Whether it’s a “good guy” or “bad guy,” there’s just some very interesting people that I don’t think if you’re not in this line of work that you really ever have the opportunity to meet and talk with.”

Faulconer says he first knew his job wouldn’t be the same this spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect Springfield. The police department put restrictions in place limiting travel for staff and outlined COVID testing guidelines. Dispatchers also started asking COVID-related questions to every 911 caller.

“I think that’s when it really started to set in that this is something that’s going to be around for a while, that these precautions need to be taken, and I think that’s probably the first step that we as a department took to really take it seriously,” he said.

Jasmine Bailey is a spokeswoman for the SPD. She says the biggest change officers have adapted to is the use of personal protective equipment, or PPE, but that officers are responding to calls mostly like they did before.

“Their response, in general, hasn’t changed much," she told KSMU. "Now there’s that added layer of PPE – protective gear. All of our officers are equipped with masks, and face shields, and gloves.

Earlier this year, Springfield City Council passed an ordinance requiring the use of masks in certain places. Faulconer says most citizens understand the purpose of the ordinance, but some refuse to follow the mandate. Faulconer says he hasn’t given anyone a citation for violating the ordinance, but he occasionally hears calls from citizens upset others aren’t wearing a mask. He says dealing with the controversy is the hardest part of this year’s big changes.

“There’s people that don’t like the mask mandate, there’s people that think it’s an absolute necessity, and there’s some people that are kind of in between," Faulconer said. "It’s 2020 and it seems everything’s become political, whether one side or the other. I think the hardest thing is trying to be fair and unbiased when, personally, I can see both sides of the issue.”

In addition to the pandemic, this year has included nationwide protests for racial justice. Faulconer is aware that more people are taking videos of police encounters these days. 

“I don’t get hung up on social media influences --good or bad-- for officers, because it doesn’t always tell the whole story, so I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Faulconer said.

He says he also wants the community to know police officers are human as well, and are just trying to do the job they’re sworn to do.

“Police just don’t show up places to harass people," Faulconer said. "I know it may seem like that, especially on a short video. Last night I answered almost 25 calls in a ten-hour shift, so that’s 25 different people that have called in about some sort of issue that I’m legally obligated to go to.”

SPD spokeswoman Jasmine Bailey says the pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for the police, and officers are faced with tough situations on patrol every day.

“People are suffering from this virus," Bailey said. "People are dying from this virus. Sometimes our officers are the first people to arrive on scene if someone has passed away because of complication dealing with this sickness.”

Faulconer says this year has been testing, because usually he leaves his job at the door when he comes home to his family. But with the pandemic and protests, he says it’s harder to do that.

“My way to cope with it, honestly is just getting away from it and spending time outside of work doing things that I enjoy that aren’t related to the job. I think that’s a healthy habit for any job.”

Normally he watches baseball to unwind, and social activities usually means watching sports with friends and family. But with COVID restrictions, those experiences are on hold for now. But he’s staying busy in his home life; this year, he and his wife welcomed a son who is now six months old.

Faulconer believes there will be lasting social change as a result of the past eight months, but isn’t sure what the “new normal” will look like come the New Year.

“There’s a lot of good people here at this department, and that’s one reason that I’m still here. I don’t have any plans to go anywhere, because I enjoy the work that we do, and I think that we do good work and the majority of citizens do see that.”

Josh Conaway is a graduate of Missouri State University with a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in International Affairs. He works as a news reporter and announcer at KSMU. His favorite part of the job is exploring the rich diversity of the Ozarks and meeting people with interesting stories to share. He has a passion for history and running.