Officer Amiri has been with the Antioch Police Department since 2017. We invite the community to get to know him a little better by watching his Meet Your Beat Video below.
Where did you grow up? Tell us about your background and how it impacts you as an officer.
I was born and raised in the bay area. I was raised by a single mother who worked full time and went to school full time. My father was absent in my childhood and he left us to start a new family. My mother and I moved around a lot with different family members, and I was constantly changing schools and growing up in different parts of the bay area. Seeing my mother struggle and work hard as a single parent played a big role in the person I am today. I struggled in school growing up and I eventually dropped out of high school. I quickly realized I needed the education to be successful with anything I wanted to do so I got my GED before enrolling in junior college.
When did you become a police officer? What did you do before you were a police officer?
Prior to being a police Officer, I worked in retail loss prevention for 6 years where I caught shoplifters. While working full-time in loss prevention, I was also attending Las Positas College where I obtained my Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. After obtaining my Associate’s degree, I had enough money saved up to put myself through the police academy. During the academy, I was hired by the Brentwood Police Department. I spent 3 years with BPD before lateralling moving to the Antioch Police Department. While working for Antioch PD, I obtained my Bachelor’s degree and I am now in the process of obtaining my Master’s degree.
How did become interested in law enforcement? Or did you always want to be a police officer?
Becoming a police officer was a childhood dream. I always looked up to Police Officers as role models and leaders. My favorite TV show growing up was Cops. Once I was old enough, I did a few ride alongs and I was hooked and knew that I didn’t want to do anything else other than being a Police Officer.
What is your favorite part of being a police officer?
My favorite part about being a Police Officer is the challenges and excitement the job comes with. Everyday is something new and we are constantly meeting people and have an opportunity to have even the smallest impact on them.
What do you like about Antioch PD?
What I love about Antioch PD is how there is so much opportunity for growth and to do various assignments, unlike smaller departments. There are plenty of things to do and the administration is very supportive of us. I love coming to work every day and I love the people that I work with. I am currently a K9 handler, Field Training Officer and a member of the Gang Unit. Being a K9 handler is by far the best job in the world and I am so thankful to be able to hold this position.
What is the most challenging part of being a police officer?
The most challenging part of being a Police Officer is people sometimes people judge us based on what they see on TV or the internet. At the end of the day, being a Police Officer is something we do and not who we are. I love being able to change someone’s negative perspective by having a positive engagement with them.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Family? Hobbies?
I love spending time with my family and my infant son. My wife and I love traveling and we are big foodies. One of our favorite hobbies is going on Yelp and looking up restaurants with good reviews in various cities and making day trips just to eat! I also love spending time with K9 Purcy as our next favorite hobby is being in the pool.
What special attributes do you think you bring to being a police officer?
My family and I live in Antioch and I truly care about this community. Every day that I put on my uniform and go out on the streets, I do everything I can to make sure I’m doing my part with keeping the community safe and getting criminals off the streets. There are a lot of families in the city, just like mine, and I find it as my responsibility to make sure they are all safe.
