The Reading Police Oral History Project

The Reading Police

Oral History Project:

Understanding the Lives of

Those Who Serve and Protect

On March 2nd and 4th, 2015, students of Penn State Berks professor Justin De Senso class "Writing in the Social Sciences" course conducted community-based research to explore questions on policing and justice in America. With the support of the Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research, 22 students interviewed 14 City of Reading Police officers on Berks campus and recorded them for archiving at the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania.  The purpose of the research was threefold: 1) To understand how police officers understand themselves and their profession; 2) to document the life and work of local officers in their own words; and 3) to share officers' stories with those whom they serve and protect.  To prepare for the interviews, students studies oral history methods, read broadly on the criminal justice system, crafted interview questions, and practiced on each other as well as a gracious Penn State Berks police officer. For the interviews, students asked  officers three central questions.  Why did you join the Reading Police department? What has defined your time as an officer? And what are your thoughts on your overall experience? As the recordings reveal, students also improvised and asked unscripted questions to "share authority" with officers and shape interviews on their own terms.

For more information on the oral history project contact Professor Justin De Senso jdesenso@gmail.com.