Sometimes, life sends you exactly where you need to be.
Doreen Mikan grew up in a small farm town where she enjoyed riding her horse in a beautiful rural setting. Following high school graduation, she followed her heart to the University of Connecticut to study animal science.
“I rode as an intercollegiate sport at UConn, and while I no longer own a horse, a friend here in Granby lets me ride one of hers,” Mikan said. “I love riding, hiking, just being outside.” Keenly aware of her own nature and of what would make her happy, Mikan sought employment after graduation with the Connecticut Humane Society.
“Right out of college I was a humane officer, assigned to investigate complaints of cruelty to animals,” Mikan recalled. “The CHS is a private organization, and to become a full officer with arrest power, I had to graduate from the police academy. I attended the protective services program for the miscellaneous who weren’t state or municipal officers, including airport police, those guarding the submarine base at Groton, and officers with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).” Upon graduation from the academy in 1991, Mikan served just over a year as a certified humane officer.
“Then I saw that there was an opening in the Granby Police Department, and I applied for the job,” Mikan said. “I enjoyed the humane society job because that was my background, but I saw right away that there was no opportunity for upward mobility. Over time, local animal control officers ended up taking over that role.”
Granby was the first and only town to which Mikan applied. She was hired in August 1992. “It fit my criteria, a beautiful small town with lots of farms and horses,” she said. “Definitely heads turned when I arrived. It was still uncommon for smaller towns to hire female officers, although the bigger towns like Windsor and Hartford already had multiple female officers back then.”
Over the next 32 years, Mikan would marry and give birth to twins who will soon be off to college, leaving her and her husband empty nesters. Although she is eligible for retirement based on age and years of service, Mikan said she has more to do.
“I completely support women in law enforcement,” she said with a big grin, then sobered as she noted that the cycle of domestic violence that Granby police deal with is challenging. “We respond to a call, the couple stays together, and the violence continues. Our challenge is to try to protect victims and guide them in a way in which they are safe from that point on.
“When I talk to people in different jobs about what I do, they are surprised by the amount of domestic violence we have. It doesn’t have to be physical. It can be financial, and it can be controlling behavior, which doesn’t always leave outward wounds, but can have profound effects on the victims.” Drugs and alcohol often play a key role in this pervasive problem, Mikan added.
Asked her sense of how people in Granby respond to a police presence, Mikan said it’s “reflexive” for people to take extra caution when they see a police car, which can be a very good thing. “I think Granby residents are largely supportive of our work, and I’m grateful to have that support,” she added.
“I was drawn to police work to ensure public safety and to help people in distress, and that’s what I love doing,” Mikan said. “Somehow my husband and I have managed to balance work with attending our son’s and daughter’s sporting events, and there are many.” Between them, Mikan’s twins play ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, baseball and run track. They are now starting their college search, a daunting job for any family, and this family will do it times two.
Sometimes, Mikan admits, the idea of retirement crosses her mind, but she stresses that she’s not ready yet. “I’ve been so busy working and raising kids that whenever I retire, it will definitely be a big change, a huge adjustment,” she says.
Currently the department’s patrol supervisor, Mikan fields all 9-1-1 calls for assistance, assigning officers to respond and briefing them on the nature of the call. During her interview for this report, Mikan received a call and had to immediately leave. “Everyone else is out,” she said by way of apology as she left the room. It was a busy weekday morning for Granby police.
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