Veterans help put more Atlanta Police officers on the street

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department has partnered with veterans, providing them with jobs, some of those jobs at the Video Integration Center, also known as VIC.

"It's hard for a lot of vets to find work, you have like stigmas behind disabled vets whether mentally disabled or physically disabled, but we can do the work, so all we need is a chance," said veteran, Charles Thompson who works at the video integration center.

Charles Thompson served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 10 years in The Navy. Transitioning from military to civilian life was tough, especially when it came to finding a job. Thompson said the position he was offered as a VIC analyst came at the perfect time.

"Us being vets, we come from a background of teamwork and the police is teamwork, they work as a team so it goes hand in hand," said Thompson.

About two years ago the Atlanta Police Foundation came up with the idea to bring veterans into the department to assist police.  Officers said they are honored to work alongside these men and women who sacrifice so much for their country.

"The additional training they go through in the military, boot camp along with the specialized training brings over leadership, the dependability, their ability to think on their feet," said VIC Operations Commander, Lt. David Ferguson.

Officers said because they have highly skilled men and women monitoring the more than 8,000 cameras throughout the city, they are able to put more officers on the street.

"The veterans actually have more experience in different areas than police do, so they bring a whole pool of information and training they've had to share with our officers," said Lt. Ferguson.

Kenneth Nurse is also a veteran who works at the video integration center.  Nurse served time in The Navy working on submarines and said his military training is beneficial in responding when something catches his eye.

"Being on submarines is a high-stress situation," said Kenneth Nurse. "Here when you see a high stressful situation or something like that going on, it helps you to be calm, cool, collected,"

It's a partnership Atlanta Police will continue to expand.