From TAC Officer To Sergeant: A Calling To Serve
Image of Sergeant Phillips
As a member of KCPD’s renowned Tactical Response Team (TRT), Sergeant T.J. Phillips, an Army veteran, contributed to high-level trainings and operations for eight gratifying years.
“We went after some of the highest-level criminals, and we got to work with federal agencies and metro partners,” Phillips explained. “We trained with the FBI, ATF, K-9, Helicopter, Bomb and Arson, DOD, snipers, explosive breachers… all the things.”
Phillips enjoyed his time with the TRT, explaining that eight years in that assignment naturally placed him in a senior leadership role, instructing and mentoring newer TRT officers. The desire to help officers motivated Phillips to become a sergeant, which he now is at South Patrol Division. The attention to detail he relied on in TRT, he now emphasizes as a leader.
It’s been a 15-year journey at KCPD for Phillips, who started the police academy while a military police reservist (after active service) in the Army. Phillips joined the Army after high school, motivated by 9/11. In the Army, he toured in Germany, served two combat tours in Iraq, and met people he created unbreakable bonds with.
“I met some of the best friends I’ve ever had,” Phillips said. “I liked to travel. I liked to be a part of units that got to be a part of some amazing operations, being a part of something bigger.”
The discipline, values, and skills he developed in the Army helped Phillips at KCPD, first as a police officer, then in TRT, and now as a sergeant. Phillips says the two organizations share similar traits, providing room to grow and many opportunities for different assignments.
“If you like to get outside and do things and be active, you can find that role,” Phillips said. “I would encourage anyone from the military who is looking to transition to a similar lifestyle, the transition at KCPD is seamless. You’ll find similar peer groups where you’ll find some of the best friends of your life and be able to branch out and do some really cool things that you may have not thought possible on the law enforcement side.”
Phillips encourages veterans who are looking for a career where they can continue to serve their community to do a ride-along.
KCPD has police officer openings. Apply now.