Joey Ulibarri always knew he wanted to help people, and that desire led him to enroll in the Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC).

The Calhoun native’s career path led him to follow in his father’s footsteps. The day after he graduated with his certificate in April 2021, he started working at the Calhoun Police Department, where his father has worked for about six years.

“I enjoy talking to people when I’m not on a call,” Ulibarri said. “I really like seeing children and enjoy interacting with them. I like to establish a rapport with business people and to have relationships with the community.”

Ulibarri, 22, sees these interactions as good community policing.

“I like to let people know I’m a human being,” he said. “Just because I’m a police officer doesn’t mean I am any different than anyone else.”

His inherent love for people and empathy lead him to help citizens from answering routine calls to the more unusual, such as helping to rescue a cat from a raccoon trap, he explained.

“I recently helped a woman find her lost iPhone,” he said. “When she hugged me (in gratitude), it really made me feel good.”

Jose Ulibarri Sr., Joey’s father, graduated from GNTC’s Basic Law Enforcement program in November 2012. He also works at the Calhoun Police Department and said he recommended the program to his son.

“I had such a good experience in the academy that when Joey said he wanted to go into law enforcement, too, I knew he would get a good education there,” Ulibarri Sr. said.