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Patrol Officer C. Ficarro keeps watch year-round over Wrightsville Beach residents and the influx of visitors to the small beach town.
as an advantage, “If a big guy steps out of the police vehicle, the
person might find him a little more intimidating or might be more
aggressive, whereas if I step out, they may say, ‘Hmm, where is this
going to go?’ And being from a teaching background, I’m thinking
that I need to be more mentally tough than physically tough. I think
females can use less physical force and use more of a mental approach
to de-escalate a situation. You can catch more flies with honey.”
She says she puts on the police uniform every day but is still
human. “I still have fears — but you have to learn to get comfort-able
with the uncomfortable. It makes it fun and exciting.” For
those uncomfortable confrontations, “You hit them with a smile.
We want everyone to go home at the end of the day,” Ficarro says.
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