Night crime has a different persona. “There’s a completely different nature of people in the day than there is at night,” Corporal Brenda Veach of the Greer Police Department, said.
“Even though there are DUIs (Driving Under the Influence) in the day there are more at night,” Veach said. “Alcohol makes people more active at night and all of us have to be more observant at night.”
Tonight at City Council’s final meeting of the year, Veach will be presented as one of two new corporals, both women, promoted in the Directive Patrol Unit. She and Corporal Kara Blackwell will be presented together.
Veach and Blackwell earned the promotions determined by scores on a written examination and on-the-job performance. It’s unusual that two women from the same police department with Greer’s demographics and size would get a similar promotion at the same time.
Veach works the night shift, 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Her job responsibilities have changed with her promotion from field training officer to corporal. She supervises 4-5 officers on shift and reports to her sergeant.
Law enforcement was a career choice Veach sidestepped earlier in her life. “I got a second opportunity to get into law enforcement because I wanted a change in what I was doing career-wise,” Veach said.
She was taking classes at Greenville Tech toward a criminal justice degree when she applied to the Greer Police Department. “I got into law enforcement in my early 20s through a reserve program,” Veach said. “I knew at that point it was what I wanted to do. Years passed by and the opportunity to get back into it came up and I applied at Greer and was accepted.”
Officers report to Veach during her shift. Her job is to be in the field and help keep Greer safe.
A robbery at the Hot Spot on Line Street last Saturday night was solved within hours, according to Veach. An identification was reported to Veach and the alleged suspect was tracked and captured a few hours later. As the corporal on duty Veach directed the investigation.
Veach said she became acclimated to her job quickly. “Part of the job is learned through time. I already had a basic understanding.”
Job stress comes with the territory but Veach said, “I can’t say I feel high stress every day. Some days one leave you physically and emotionally drained. But it’s not all the time.”
There was a personal adjustment Veach had to attend to when she first joined the department. “My family has been very supportive. But I had to call my mother every night.”
Veach’s passion is traffic. She instructs high school students on automobile safety and what dangers to be aware of when driving. She teaches Alive at 25, a survival course developed by the National Safety Council that is designed to prevent the number one killer of teens, automobile crashes.
During classroom instruction Veach said she can tell when the students get it. “Most of them get the message. You can tell you are making an impact by their facial expressions or when their backs get straight.”