Most police officers go through a rigorous process of training and testing at the Police Academy before they are allowed to patrol the streets. However, some come to the job with credentials and training even before they hit the academy.
In Union City, one of those officers, Nichelle Luster, was promoted last week to the rank of sergeant in the Union City Police Department. Luster has accomplished a lot in her 33 years on the planet. And to do everything she has done in mostly male-dominated worlds makes her accomplishments all the more impressive.
A native of San Diego, Calif., Luster has, to paraphrase the old Army tagline, done more before 9 a.m. than most people do in a lifetime.
“I always wanted to be a police officer, to be in law enforcement,” a radiant Luster said last week during a telephone interview. And even before her 20th birthday, Luster began an odyssey that would take her to distant lands and eventually lead her to Hudson County and Union City.
Luster began her career with the United States Army. She served four years active duty and four years in the Reserve, eventually becoming a military police officer (MP). She was stationed at the Army base in Fischbach, Germany, a place Luster called “an interesting place, very beautiful”.
In what perhaps is a glimpse into a personality that has allowed her to excel at so many things in her life, Luster eschewed the normal route of going back to the States on leave and instead chose to travel around Europe with friends.
Said Luster, “I did fairly well being away from home. I think I went home twice in all the time I was in Germany.”
After leaving Germany, Luster found herself in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as part of a joint United States Navy/ Marine and Army deployment to help deal with the Haitian Crisis in 1992, a detail that Luster described mostly as “hot.”
How she ended up in U.C.
In 1994, Luster joined the Union City Police Department, which for the casual observer might seem like a strange place for a woman from San Diego, Calif. to end up, but to Luster, it makes perfect sense.
“I was stationed with someone from Union City,” said Luster. “And when I came to take the test for New York City, I wound up getting involved with the Union City EMS and then the police department.”
Four years later, in 1998, Luster moved over to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and worked on a variety of cases, some of which she is still giving testimony about. Said Luster about her move to the Prosecutor’s Office, “I’ve always tried to fast track as much as possible.”
This single-minded determination allowed Luster to become a respected and valuable member of the investigation squad in the Prosecutor’s Office. Luster and her crew handled “all death investigations.” This included homicides, suicides, unattended deaths and even police shootings. It was, to hear Luster tell it, exciting work that challenged her and allowed her to use her inquisitive mind and her powers of deduction.
But Luster yearned to return to patrol, and so in July 2003, returned to the Union City Police Department as a detective, working midnights, a shift that she continues to work and love. “There’s something about the midnight shift,” said Luster.
A female in a man’s world
When Luster joined the Union City Police Department in 1994, she was only one of five females that were on the department. Now there are 10. Luster, since becoming a sergeant, is now the second highest-ranking female police officer in the department, right behind Lt. Nilsa “Candy” Gordon.
For a woman who has immersed herself in so many things that, traditionally, are male-dominated, she must have seen or experienced problems along the way. But Luster disagrees.
“I, personally, have never experienced anything like that,” said Luster. “But it would be naïve to say that it never happens. I think what it comes down to is how good you are and how you carry yourself and other people recognizing it.”
Added Luster, “I’ve never looked at is as a ‘female’ thing, but now that I’ve been promoted, I am very proud of it. It sends a really good message, I think.”
A good fit
Luster sees the Union City Police Department as a perfect blend of size and leadership. She said it’s a “department on the rise.” Said Luster, “I really like the size of the department and I love the people in Union City. The department is small enough that you can be recognized for your accomplishments, but big enough to be progressive.”
As for why she became a police officer and why she continues to glean satisfaction from the job, Luster admits to a corny maxim, but stands by it nonetheless. Said Luster, “I do this job for the ability to touch people, the interaction. And not just arresting people and stuff like that. When you can show compassion to a victim’s family… we’re the front line of defense.”
Luster thinks her experiences around the world help her understand people better. “My experience has a cumulative effect, I think,” said Luster. “I understand different people and different cultures. I definitely think I bring something different to Union City.”
Promotions
On Jan. 2, Union City held a promotion ceremony for two other police officers.
Promoted to the rank of lieutenant were Sgt. William Peer and Sgt. Emilio Gonzalez.
Said Union City Mayor Brian Stack in his welcoming speech, “These officers’ commitment to their community shows through in their work. These are three excellent officers.”
Acting Chief Charles Everett commented on the fact that Stack hasn’t been as “free with promotions as other mayors,” but that he is picking very qualified people for the positions. “These people are examples of that,” said Everett.
Said Luster at the ceremony, “I am just really excited. I can’t wait to return to the patrol division.”