Detective Jim Rodgers
19 Years On
Current: FBI Task Force Bank Robbery
Usually, when I tell people I work bank robberies they ask, “Do people still rob banks?” Yes, they do. Because bank robbery is one of those things that has a lot of history behind it and movies about it, some think my job is interesting. And it is. Bank robbery is different from other robberies because there’s almost always photographic evidence of the suspect unless they cover their faces or conceal their identity.
How do you manage the danger?
I remember when I was in SWAT. People used to say, “I bet you hope you don’t get called out tonight.” And I’d look at them and say, “Why do you think I do this? I do this and I train for this because I want to go out and make a difference.” My goal is not to end all bank robberies. There’s always going to be crime. But I would rather be in a place where if it’s going to happen, let me be there to go after the guys and put them in prison for it.
There have to be people in society that stand in the gap and say no. That’s what police officers do. Because we do that, we’re going to be targets.
Ultimately, each morning I get up, I kiss my wife and hug my kids. You do have those times when your family goes gosh, there he goes off to work and he might not come home. It’s a reality that unfortunately we are reminded of when bad things happen. I’ve been to enough cop funerals. I’ve lived the realities of the dangers of this job for 19 years. My wife knows the realities and the dangers. The fact is, you still go back out there and you do it. I know I have a job to do and I love doing the job. I truly am drawn to it. It’s who I am. It’s what I do. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.