Scituate Police Officer Drew Kitchen, an inspiring figure from the Scituate community, recently shared his experience as a military veteran and a current member of the Scituate Police Department with the SHS Advanced Journalism class. Kitchen served 10 years in the Army before switching career paths to become a police officer.

While in the military, Kitchen had the opportunity to serve overseas in Iraq and Africa. Kitchen said, “I spent 15 months there [Africa], serving in 30-32 of the African countries.” Kitchen wasn’t in Africa for armed battle–he was there to help impoverished people. Kitchen explained that he “taught people how to fight,” delivered humanitarian aid, and built structures. During his stateside assignments, Kitchen served in various locations around the country, including Georgia, California, New York, and Kansas. 

Kitchen’s desire to protect and serve led him to his current career as a police officer. After completing the police academy, Kitchen and his wife decided to move to Scituate. With years of experience in the military, Kitchen commented, “Policing in Scituate is different than I thought.”  Kitchen explained that police work often entails mental health calls, which requires guiding citizens through tough situations. Although the work is challenging, Kitchen said he is regularly “interacting with people on a different level.” Some people see him in uniform and expect him to know all the answers, but part of his job is guiding those in need to the appropriate resources for help.

Recalling his own challenging experiences as a teenager, Kitchen reiterated to students that no matter what happens in high school, there is always a bright future ahead if you have the right mindset.