TCNJ

31 SPRING 2024 Thormann, Finn, and Reilly say TV cop shows get one thing right: the camaraderie among officers. "I look forward to shifts," says Reilly. "We are friends for life." Happenstance brought this band of TCNJ brothers together on the same municipal police force. All three were athletes at TCNJ — Thormann and Finn played football, while Reilly was on the track and field team. "Having this TCNJ bond," says Thormann, who supervises Finn and Reilly, "means I know these guys are smart cops." As patrol officers, Finn and Reilly say they respond to their share of non-violent routine calls but may also respond to more serious concerns, like domestic violence. And, although both say they don't watch many police shows, Finn does enjoy On Patrol: Live, in which camera crews go on police ride-alongs, because the show allows him to see how departments around the country operate. What do shows get most wrong? The paperwork. Or rather, the lack of it seen on screen. "That's the biggest shock to new officers," Thormann says. "When I see a car chase or an arrest on TV, I just think, 'That's a lot of report writing.' Also, there's no need to shout the Miranda warning — but it makes for good TV." Officer Timothy Reilly '20, Officer Christopher Finn '18, and Sergeant Michael Thormann '08 Ramsey (New Jersey) Police Department MICHAEL MITCHELL SAYS: There's a false perception that the Miranda warning, which informs detainees of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney, must be read in the course of making an arrest. In fact, police officers need only read Miranda rights before questioning a detainee.

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