Loading ...How My Arab American Upbringing Prepared Me for Policing
By: Sarah Shendy / Arab America Contributing Writer
Arab America contributing writer, Officer Sarah Shendy, shares how growing up in an Arab American home shaped her approach to policing. After joining the police academy, she quickly realized her passion for supporting the community. Grounded in the values of her upbringing, Officer Shendy leads with heart—relying on vulnerability, empathy, and compassion to connect with people during their most challenging moments. These values have enabled her to make a lasting impact on the communities she serves.
After college, I did not realize how much my commitment to the police academy would change my entire life. I fell in love on day one, and over sixteen years later, I am still in love.
Aside from using my head and tactics to stay safe and alive while protecting and serving the public, I also have to use my heart. A LOT. Every time I practiced vulnerability, empathy, care, compassion, and deep intentional listening, I thought about how much I saw and practiced that growing up. It came to me so effortlessly. It was my default. On the most terrible calls and most traumatic encounters, a heartbroken mom or a fatherless child would look at me and ask, “why are you so different?” My response was always the same: “this is how I was raised.”
The Arabic Language
As an officer, I have used the Arabic language to help countless survivors of crime. I have received calls from police departments across the state and country when they encountered a member of their community that they could not help because of a language barrier. They would call me, hand them the phone, and I would be able to bridge the gap between them and the officer. Whether it was an 86-year-old grandmother from Yemen who took a walk and got lost on her way back from home or explaining to a survivor of sexual assault what the officer was trying to accomplish and how to navigate the justice system, knowing I shared their language brought ease to their minds and hearts.
Modeling Vulnerability
Our society struggles with vulnerability, empathy, and compassion. While navigating through my career, I have noticed that people have a hard time sharing their feelings. In return, that prevents us from forming connections with others and can compromise our mental health. Growing up in an Arab American home, it was practiced and modeled in everything that we did. My parents lead by example.
Keeping connections
A victim advocate at heart, I value connection. People expect us to complete the report and walk out of their lives, never seeing them again. They are surprised when the same officer who met them on the tragic night continues to show up at their home to check on them and their family. I have met some of the most wonderful people on the most tragic of calls.
One night, I went to a house to deliver some terrible news at 3 AM. Months later, I returned to the same house for a graduation party, and a couple of years later, I was invited to a wedding reception in the same home. I never hesitated to express my feelings or emotions on a call within reason. The energy and aura that I built and carried attracted children to me while I was in school, and many of our encounters led to the best of conversations. It also gave permission for other human beings to crumble in my arms on the worst day of their life.
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