Below is a feature story that is about someone very dear to me. Clay Wesley Dowis is highlighted in this article and I hope you enjoy! ( The Query Letter might be stuck on top somewhere too)
November 29, 2011
Dear Mr. Ellertsen,
We spoke at the Springfield City Council meeting recently regarding my article that I believe is a perfect fit for your publication, The Sleepy Weasel. This article is a 1,400 word feature, spotlighting the career of Clay Dowis, a prominent city police Deputy Chief. This piece is a perfect fit for your publication because it highlights a local hero and also addresses the newly released data regarding Springfield, Illinois being named the third most dangerous city in the US. Dowis gives a unique perspective to this information that was sure to shake the rest of the city. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it!
This is an excerpt from my article’s first paragraph:When the average person thinks of law enforcement, they imagine the red and blue lights flashing in their mirrors because they were speeding or SWAT teams busting down doors in full riot gear in order to detain drug smugglers on television, but for Clay Wesley Dowis it’s so much more than that. Law enforcement represents a calling and a desire to serve ones community in order to keep people safe. That is truly no small task for these officers, because recently Springfield, Illinois has been named by Forbes magazine as the third most dangerous city per capita. This new accusation about his town and police force has only added to the difficulty of making sure that this metropolis runs smoothly and crime-free. While I have not yet been published, I have won several writing contests from Literary Today and am hoping to expand my goals. Thank you for your time and consideration and I am greatly looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely Yours,
Katherine Dowis
Okay, Heres the feature--------->
When the average person thinks of law enforcement, they imagine the red and blue lights flashing in their mirrors because they were speeding or SWAT teams busting down doors in full riot gear in order to detain drug smugglers on television, but for Clay Wesley Dowis it’s so much more than that. Law enforcement represents a calling, and a desire to serve ones community in order to keep people safe. That is truly no small task for these officers, because recently Springfield, Illinois has been named by Forbes magazine as the third most dangerous city per capita. This new accusation about his town and police force has only added to the difficulty of making sure that this metropolis runs smoothly and crime-free.
As a young boy growing up in the “Cabbage Patch” neighborhood of Springfield, Clay found inspiration in his grandfather, Noel Sexton, who was a Lieutenant with the Springfield Police Department in 1960. He knew he wanted to be just like his grandfather and at the time it was because of the lights on the cars and the uniforms. Eventually, he decided helping people through upholding the law was exactly what he wanted to do. When Dowis had finally grown up and been honorably discharged from the United State Marine Corps, he knew he had to proceed with his lifelong dreams of being a cop. The word “cop” has become a slang word for police officers, however it also represents the comfortable brotherhood that many form with each other; that was the type of officer Dowis desired to be. He wanted to be part of a team, to watch his brother’s backs and they’ll watch his.
He began his career as a turnkey in a small county jail, then moved up by becoming a patrol officer in a small, rural Illinois town and finally made his way into the Springfield Police Department. Once affiliated in the department, Dowis rose up in the ranks quickly by being promoted from patrolman, to Sergeant, to Lieutenant, and finally Deputy Chief of Investigations (the third most prominent position in the department). Clay’s determined demeanor, and charming countenance won over many respected leaders and he soon was on his way to the top. Once Dowis was placed in charge of the Bureau of Investigations with the Springfield Police Department, he realized that criminal investigation was more than just a trade skill; it was a completely different way of viewing the world and society.
Clay has been classically trained in criminal investigation tactics by achieving a Masters Degree in Law Enforcement, graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico and by attending numerous seminars provided by many law enforcement facets throughout the years. Clay Dowis has been integrated in the law enforcement environment for 31 years now and couldn’t picture himself doing anything else. Although Dowis is very educated in the classical sense, he says he owes most of his knowledge from on the job training. “Getting out there and pounding the pavement and experiencing people is where the most useful information comes from, “Dowis revealed.
When Dowis was first informed of the new data that had been released regarding the danger level of Springfield, he was astounded. “I just couldn’t believe that this city, of all cities in America, that this one was the third most dangerous. I’ve been to many worse places and I have to say that I believe their data has been flawed in some way.” Dowis slightly chuckled and grinned at the idea of Springfield, Illinois being compared to places like Los Angeles, Detroit, or even St. Louis for that matter. “We have our problems”, Dowis explained, “every city does and we do all we can to curb the impact of crime. Some areas however, are always going to be dangerous. It’s not neighborhoods that are detrimental to society, it is the people within those neighborhoods and those people rarely just disappear. It’s something we have to deal with as a community every day.”
Many different kinds of investigations are available for the municipal police in a diverse city like Springfield; however, Dowis said the most common type of crimes that he investigated were homicides. These types of crimes were so heinous, but Dowis never faltered. He remained professional and innovative while investigating deaths and was determined to obtain justice for the victims and their families.
The gruesome crime scenes and questionable neighborhoods never disabled Dowis from doing what he was assigned to do, but he does believe that it is an occupation that’s not for everybody. When asked what type of person is most suited for law enforcement, Dowis responded, “You have to be tenacious, curious and very imaginative. You must also possess excellent communication skills and maintain the ability to project a non judgmental demeanor while interviewing subjects.” Another layer of investigating homicides is that an effective officer needs to be able to express genuine sympathy to the families of victims. “Notifying a family that a relative has been murdered is the worst part of the job,” he said. An officer’s ability to express sympathy and genuine concern for the victims, while still remaining emotionally distant is a fine balance that must be maintained.
It is the investigators objectiveness that sparks the most leads and gets these crimes solved. These all are essential traits to possess in everyday life, but for an officer it could mean the difference between life and death. Police officers are part of a small club that puts themselves at risk every time they go on duty. I don’t know too many “normal” folks who would want to join this club. In general, most people try to avoid risk and danger at every turn, but these guys and gals run toward it. These are the people that everyone else relies on when things have turned from bad to worse; these are the people who want to protect others and do it knowing that they are putting their own lives on the line in doing so. Dowis has made these sacrifices and had many close calls. He recalled a specific memory that would shake even the toughest of the tough. “Once on a domestic dispute call, I was first on the scene and was immediately approached by a man wielding a double barrel shotgun, and his frightened girlfriend ran to me bloody and desperate for protection. I was the only line of defense between this man and any harm that could come to his victim. Of course I was scared, any sane person would be, but fear couldn’t rule my actions and decisions at that moment. I had to act and act smart. It all ended up alright but it was an experience that has never left me.”
When asked what the most important piece of advice Clay would give to anyone who may be considering a career in law enforcement, his usual cheerful expression turned very serious. “The most important thing is that law enforcement is a very special career that is not for everyone. If the atmosphere does not resonate with you immediately you should seek other options. It’s not just a job, it’s a calling if you do it right. It becomes part of your lifestyle, your family’s lifestyle and law enforcement possesses its own culture that will permeate everything in your life.”
Dowis is an example of a person who has excelled in this environment; however there have been many before him that simply cannot handle the ghastly crimes, the unpredictable hours, the missed holidays, and insurmountable stress that comes with the job. Dowis has seen the good and the bad, and still values the good work that he and the department have done for the community. Even when faced with data like that released by Forbes, he never loses his cool. It was easy to see that Clay Dowis is a man who sees the value in protecting the rights of society as a whole while still balancing the rights of the individual. The sacrifices he and all dedicated officers of the law have made are innumerable and in many cases have been overlooked by society. But it is those sacrifices that allow our city and its citizens to continue to live their lives in safety.
