TCNJ

34 The College of New Jersey Magazine Officer Ryan Parker '19 and Officer Joseph Martorano '21 United States Capitol Police On most days, Parker works in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives, inside the U.S. Capitol, keeping lawmakers and their staff safe and helping members of the public navigate the building. "What I love about my job is the sense of mission," he says. "It's a job that brings me a lot of satisfaction." On January 6, 2021, Parker was inside the Capitol when hundreds of protesters entered the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Television cameras broadcasted the scenes to millions of viewers across the country and showed the Capitol Police officers being attacked in the melee. "You go through six-and-a-half months of training to try to prepare yourself for possible situations you encounter day to day," Parker says. "But a situation like that is beyond what your training has called for." Parker, the son of a police officer, downplays his role on that day — "I played the part I was supposed to play" — but he remembers the aftermath. He saw his colleagues MITCHELL SAYS: We seldom see police in television dramas involved in political matters, but throughout American history, police have played a role during times of social unrest. grapple with what had transpired. Some resigned. "Experiencing that — it's tough," Parker says. Among Parker's current colleagues is Martorano, who was still a TCNJ senior when the January 6 riot unfolded. While he was troubled by the events of that day, he says, "I was not going to let January 6 interfere with my ultimate goal." He entered a federal law enforcement academy in August 2021, three months after graduating from TCNJ. Now he patrols the grounds outside the Capitol, frequently interacting with tourists visiting Washington, D.C. for the first time. Mindful of the scrutiny that law enforcement faces today, Martorano says he makes a conscious effort to treat the public with respect. "That's my way of improving the public perception," he says. "You show them respect, and they're going to show that respect right back to you."

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