As one of Monterey County’s newest cops, Gretta Steinbruner has already seen it all.

This is not a popular time to become a police officer. Amid high-profile police shootings and a growing national chorus calling for reforming and defunding law enforcement, agencies across the country have reported that it’s difficult to recruit new officers to their ranks. But it was partly that narrative that inspired Gretta Steinbruner, a paramedic for AMR, to take the unusual leap to becoming a different type of first responder and training to become a cop.

“My mom and her friends are very left-leaning, and they tend to be skeptical of the police,” Steinbruner says. “I had this sense that it’s a rough time right now with how loud the opposition is. We, who are doing the right thing with community support, we need to be louder.”

Steinbruner, who lives in Salinas, just completed the police academy and was sworn in on March 11 to serve in the Soledad Police Department, where she has been a reserve officer since October 2020. She’ll continue working part-time as a paramedic for AMR.

The 29-year-old already has over a decade of experience as a first responder; she got started at 18 in the Felton Fire Department.

Weekly: You made this transition from firefighter to paramedic to police officer. Is that unusual?

Steinbruner: The usual trajectory is to start working for an ambulance company, and then go into fire or nursing. For someone to start in fire and EMS and then become a cop is sort of weird. But I have always been an analytical person, interested in crime scene processing. And the AMR Soledad station is two blocks from the fire and police departments. Being a small city, everyone’s tight-knit. It’s like a family. I started seeing the guys there as my family.

Not only is it an unusual career trajectory, but one you made at a time the police are under more scrutiny than ever.

That’s where change is going to come from, rebuilding that trust. In Soledad, when we roll through an apartment complex on patrol, we will be swarmed by kids. They want to see everything on our belt, the lights, and we give them stickers. Historically there’s a lot of suspicion around law enforcement; having those little kids embracing us as allies is so heartwarming. They’re going to bring that home to their families.

You’re also entering a local police department while the community is grieving for Salinas police officer JD Alvarado, who was killed in the line of duty.

JD was a great guy, and a great cop. It rocks your world. When there’s a loss like that, the whole family hurts. On the flipside, the outpouring of love from the community – it’s incredible to see how much support there is, especially with the current climate.

One thing that comes up in times like this is the need for first responders to attend to their own emotional needs. You volunteer as the Critical Incident Stress Management team coordinator for AMR in Monterey County. What does that entail?

We give them the tools for how something unpacks, and it’s not always a quick process. For myself, I have learned to recognize that something isn’t quite dealt with yet. Certain things do stay with you. For me, it’s a matter of taking the time to be with those feelings, and manage that uncomfortable atmosphere, and learn to be at peace with it.

You mentioned one thing you like about police work is the dimension of physical activity. What do you like?

I love to lift weights, it’s my happy place. It’s mission-oriented – I like to add a little bit more, see how much I can push myself. I love to hike, and I like to go to the beach at night, usually Moss Landing. I take my shoes off and walk a couple miles until my feet are too numb.

In a male-dominated profession, is it ever hard to fit in?

For me, it’s never been a problem. I’ve always been very tomboyish; I’ve always seen myself as one of the guys, and been treated as such.

Do you miss being a firefighter?

I do still love firefighting, it’s fun. I love to drive fire engines. It’s a different branch off the same tree – it’s making order out of chaos.

COP CAMP, open to children ages 9-17, happens 9am-noon and 1-4pm Saturday, April 9 at the Soledad Police Department. Free; registration required. 223-5161, jcisneros@cityofsoledad.com