Joseph Presley

312 Tanglewood Dr
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 567-6882
presjoe20@yahoo.com
30 July 2017
Tulsa Police Academy
6066 E 66th St
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74117
(918) 591-4500

To Whom It May Concern,

For transparency purposes, I was born with a congenital condition known as Amniotic
Band Syndrome which means that I was born without my left forearm. With this being said, it
has not and will not stop me from doing the things I wish to achieve. I knew walking into this
career path would be another uphill battle and I thought of all of the edges I could gain against
those I would be applying with. Many of these men and women would be former military and
most likely late 20s.
To gain an advantage, I enrolled at Arkansas Tech University with the majors of Criminal
Justice and Emergency Management. Although I could not enlist in the military, I continued to
seek of the education and training and enrolled in the ARMY ROTC. This was my first test of
having to prove myself to a group of individuals. Many of the Cadre were skeptical about my
ability to even perform simple push-ups but the day I climbed the 35-foot rope, I earned my spot.
I continued with my education and training but I knew I needed more. I began looking for
civilian entry-level positions that I would be able to manage as I was still underage for law
enforcement positions. I sought out the local 9-1-1 center and it was here that I got my
opportunity. Around my 21st birthday, our local police department was seeking applicants. Many
of the officers I knew from my time at dispatch encouraged me to apply. I made it to no. 8 out of
100 original applicants. Unfortunately, after passing the physical fitness test, civil service exam,
polygraph, a psych evaluation, and two rounds of interviews, I was denied at the medical exam
because I was something the doctor has never experienced before. While it was disheartening
news, I pushed forward knowing I was no. 8 with a missing hand.
During a career fair at Arkansas Tech University, the Tulsa Police Department was
recruiting along with a few other departments mainly based in Arkansas. I was unsure about with
Tulsa due to the requirement of a Bachelors degree. To me, this was the departments way of
looking for the best of the best, so I decided to question Jeff Little. I first brought up my
concerns with my condition and Little stated that if I could meet the physical requirements, he
did not see why I could not make it an officer with Tulsa Police Department. This was the initial
reason I applied. A department that turned people away without giving them an opportunity to
prove themselves was not a department I was willing to work for. I began my research. Tulsa is
an accredited department, an impressive feat on its own. I began considering the specialty units
as well and took interest in the possibility of joining one of those after my time on patrol.
Although there were protests within Tulsa, the community also respected the officers and how
the department handled the situation. I held off though, knowing I was allowed a ride-along and
decided to use opportunity to get to experience the city on a personal level. My ride-along was
with Officer Buckner and he explained more about the inner working of the department. After
experiencing Tulsa on the law enforcement level, I knew this was the department I wanted to
work for. I thoroughly enjoyed the stay and the city itself and look forward to returning.

Sincerely,

Jo Presley
Joseph Presley

(This letter was actually used during my application process for Tulsa Police Department)