MEET DETECTIVE MAIZIE O’HARA SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

Interviewer:  This week I am privileged to interview Special Crimes Team member, Detective Maizie O’Hara.  Detective O’Hara, thank you for taking time for this interview.

Detective O’Hara: (smiles) Lieutenant Williams said it would be good for us to talk to you, so here I am.

Interviewer:  Are you a native of Seattle?

Detective O’Hara: No, ma’am. I grew up in Ellensburg, but I moved to Tacoma.

Interviewer:  Were you a detective in Tacoma?

Detective O’Hara: Yes, ma’am.

Interviewer:  What brought you to Seattle and the Special Crimes Team?

Detective O’Hara: (a cloud passes over her face) I…felt like it was in my best interest for my career.

Interviewer:  (lifts brow) Would you care to elaborate on that?

Detective O’Hara:  No, ma’am. (Her lips press tightly together)

Interviewer:  Okay. Let’s talk about something else. What do you think about having a woman as the second in command of your unit?

Detective O’Hara:  (Beams a big smile) I think it’s awesome! Don’t get me wrong, though. Lieutenant Williams is really great, too.

Interviewer:  Why did you become a police officer, Detective O’Hara?

Detective O’Hara:  (All signs of levity disappears) To help women. I want to help men, too, but I became a cop to help women.

Interviewer:  Do you think you’ve been able to do that, so far?

Detective O’Hara:  (A furrow appears between her eyes and her lips turn down at the corners) Yes, I believe I have.

Interviewer:   Then why the down look on your face?

Detective O’Hara:   (Bites her bottom lip) Well…I guess I idolized law enforcement before I became a cop, and for a while after. (takes in a deep breath and lets it out slow) But sometimes, being a cop isn’t enough. As a cop, I have to stay objective, but sometimes, I need to get involved to make sure that justice happens. It kind of…(she shrugs) It kind of wore the shine off the brass, I guess, when I figured that out.

Interviewer:  (after she is silent for a long moment, interviewer speaks) Can you tell me anything more specific about your epiphany?

Detective O’Hara:   No, ma’am.

Interviewer:  You’re a police officer and you serve all of us that way. Are there things that you do to specifically try to help women?

Detective O’Hara:   Well, I volunteer at a domestic abuse women’s shelter. I read to the kids so the women can have their support meeting. You know, so the little kids don’t interrupt and…well, women don’t always like to talk about stuff around little kids. And, I’m going on a walk in November with some women friends to show support for domestic abuse survivors. And, I have a friend with a facebook page and sometimes I post links on it that are important.

Interviewer:  Sounds like you’re pretty serious when you say you want to help women. Why don’t you have a facebook page?

Detective O’Hara:  (ducks head) I’m not very good with techie stuff. (raises her head and gives interviewer a shy smile) I have a girlfriend who’s going to teach me about doing a facebook page. We just haven’t had the time yet.

Interviewer:  I’m not great with techie stuff either. (gives a smile to Detective O’Hara) What kind of links do you post?

Detective O’Hara:  Stuff about domestic violence, and sometimes links to pages where women are doing something important to help the world and each other.

Interviewer:  If there was only one link you could recommend that people go check out, which link would that be?

Detective O’Hara:  (catches lip with teeth and worries at it)  Well…there’s a blog called upworthy.com and they posted this link to a site where these women in Amsterdam do this really powerful dance performance. They’re in the Red Light District over there and they’re dancing in the windows of this building, like an apartment building and there’s all these men gathering on the street to watch them dance because….(a flush reddens her cheeks), because it’s really very sensual. You know?

Interviewer nods

Detective O’Hara;  Anyway, after the dance is over a big sign up on the top of the building flashes and says: “every year thousands of women are promised a dance career in Western Europe. Sadly, they end up here.”  Then it flashes “Stop the traffick. People shouldn’t be bought and sold.” Actually, according to Upworthy millions of people are affected by human trafficking every year; not just women in Europe. Their whole dance was about making people, men especially, understand how terrible human trafficking is.

Interviewer:  Whoa, sounds like a powerful video. I will definitely post that link here. We’re almost out of time. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the women of our audience?

Detective O’Hara: Just…well, just don’t let anyone tell you stuff like you aren’t good enough, or pretty enough, or thin enough. You are enough, just the way you are!And, if they say stuff like that, get away from them because they aren’t really your friend.

Interviewer:  Again, Detective O’Hara, thank you for coming in and sharing with us.

To visit the site recommended by Detective O’Hara:

“Who Doesn’t Like to Watch Half-Naked Girls Dancing? These Guys After They See Why It’s Happening    http://www.upworthy.com/who-doesnt-like-to-watch-half-naked-girls-dancing-these-guys-after-they-see-why-its-happening   (Red Light District, Amsterdam.)

To learn more about Detective Maizie O’Hara, read Sketch of a Murder, Book 1, Special Crimes Team  http://www.amazon.com/Sketch-Murder-Special-Crimes-Team-ebook/dp/B00KU6AIPQ

Sketch of a Murderebook 7 30 2014

Visit Aya at http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

 

4 thoughts on “MEET DETECTIVE MAIZIE O’HARA SPECIAL CRIMES TEAM

  1. slewriter

    This is an interesting blog about Mazie O’Hara. You helped to change my sterotype of who a detective is. She seems gentle in nature, but I imagine she needs to have some toughness to deal with the events that take place during her work day. I like that she volunteers some her time reading to the children in the Domestic Abuse Shelter. She sound like a special lady.
    Also, I appreciate her giving readers links to two web sites which I know I’m going to find interesting.

    Reply
  2. Joyce Hertzoff

    Not only did we learn more about her, but also learned of some sites worth visiting. She seems very shy, but very dedicated. I think I like Maizie more than before.

    Reply

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