Now a sergeant, officer loves Whitehall

Sgt. CJ Davidsen joined the Whitehall Police Department seven months ago and is settling into the area well. The transfer from Washington County Sheriff’s Department has gone from patrolman to sergeant and is happy to be in such a tight-knit community.

“I love small communities and how everyone knows each other,” he said. ‘I’ve been here for seven months now and there are some people I feel like I have known for my whole life. I’ll stop and talk with people on the side of the road and it’s cool. I’ve met a lot of great people up here and I like the atmosphere.”

Davidsen worked with Chief Dave Buxton at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and said he owes him some credit for the transition to a smaller agency.

“He and I worked together for 10 years, and I had a conversation with him, I knew I was ready for a change and a smaller agency, visited a few times, met a lot of great people, and decided Whitehall is where I want to work,” he said.

Davidsen became sergeant in June and said that the testing process is quite a journey. He spent five hours in an examination room answering questions that could range from one to three right answers.

“Some questions it’s two right answers, some are three, or one. You want to pick the better of the two or three right answers so there’s always a couple that’s kind of right and one that is the correct answer. You have to read it a few times and take your time,” he said.

Davidsen said the sergeant’s test is hours of reading and analyzing. Full comprehension of the scenarios is needed to know which choice is right. He even gave some advice on how to be prepared for the long exam.

“There’s a lot of reading comprehension on the test. You want to make sure you get enough sleep the night before because you’re doing a lot of reading,” he chuckled.

Davidsen started his policing career in 2010 working part-time with Cambridge and Greenwich Police Department as well as part-time for the highway department. His career choice came down to the two and he said he wouldn’t change any decisions he’s made.

“No, I wouldn’t go back on that choice,” he said.

“I like to help people and I like the atmosphere of a small town. I just really enjoy helping people and that’s the biggest reason why I got into law enforcement. It’s always a good feeling to help somebody.”

Beyond helping people, Davidsen said that community policing is one of the most important factors of the job. Although he’s been promoted to sergeant, he still has his patrolman duties and tries to connect with as many community members and build trust with them.

“I believe you should be the same person as you would be walking into Stewart’s in shorts and a T-shirt as you are in uniform. I feel that community policing is important, and you shouldn’t change who you are because you put the uniform on. That’s something I believed in when I first started,” he said.

Beyond law enforcement, Davidsen is on the Cambridge Fire Department squad and is responding to those calls when he isn’t responding to calls in Whitehall. It’s another example of his passion for coming to the aid of those who need help.

“My grandfather and uncles were in the Cambridge Fire Department for years. When I was a kid, on Halloween we would go down to the firehouse for candy and popcorn. I’d look at the trucks and I knew from a young age I wanted to be a part of the fire department,” he said.

Davidsen knew squad members because of family ties and joined when he was 19. His passion for helping also corresponds with a passion for volunteering and reiterated his love for helping others. Davidsen used both his policing and fire safety skills in April when back-to-back fires took place.

He also said he appreciates all the opportunities he’s been given by different agencies throughout the years.

“I appreciate the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Cambridge and Greenwich Police Department for hiring me as a 20-year-old kid,” he said.