Photo by Madison Miller.
Officer Burrow
As a business liaison for the Mountain Brook Police Department, Officer Rozetha Burrow is a personal contact for the questions and concerns of businesses in the community.
Growing up in Pinson, Officer Rozetha Burrow doesn’t remember having to worry about safety.
“You could leave the door wide open,” she said. “No one would bother you.”
Although she wishes this were still the case, Burrow knows that times have changed. Even in a generally safe city such as Mountain Brook, it is important to be on the lookout. As a business liaison for the Mountain Brook Police Department, Burrows sees crime in the community firsthand.
For her position with the department, Burrow keeps in touch with businesses in the community and provides them with a personal contact for questions, concerns or any other request.
“Just by her popping in the door, it’s an added extra security,” Jennifer Neil of Monkee’s of Mountain Brook said. “She makes me feel safer.”
Village Living sat down with Burrow to discuss her position and what she loves about Mountain Brook.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your job.
A: I’m a business liaison officer. I try to foster a relationship between owners and the city.
Q: How long have you been at the Mountain Brook Police Department?
A: Six years. I’m a hostage negotiator, crime scene technician and a traffic homicide investigator. I continue to hold all of those titles with business liaison.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about working with the people in Mountain Brook?
A: The residents are very nice people, and the business owners as well. It’s a nice atmosphere to work in [because] people go above and beyond. It’s easy to build a relationship with them. That makes a difference in this field.
Q: What are some challenges of your job?
A: You have to have someone that can deal with all types of people. Getting to know everybody is challenging, but I was up for the challenge.
[Another challenge is] not being able to be in more than one place at one time. Sometimes I have to prioritize which call is more important.
Q: What safety situations would you tell residents to be aware of?
A: Be observant. Pay attention to your gut feeling because that feeling is 99 percent right. We have to make it kind of hard for the [criminals]. We live in a comfortable zone and then stuff happens that we’ve never seen before. Don’t be complacent, and don’t hesitate to call us.
For more information, visit mtnbrook.org.