Five Questions with Officer Shane Bowles

1. Why did you become a police officer?
Officer Shane Bowles: The main reason I became a police officer was my brother-in-law. My brother-in-law, Jeff, is a New Hampshire State Trooper, and he was involved in the Carl Drega incident in 1997. Jeff was shot and was in the hospital. My wife and I went to visit him, and I was amazed by the way the other troopers acted like a family and came together in a tough situation. That was something I wanted to become a part of.

2. What is the most bizarre/unique call to which you have responded?
Bowles: There are so many that are bizarre that it is hard to pinpoint one of them. I will say some of the most bizarre calls we get are animal calls. I recently had a call for a horse on the loose. When I arrived in the area he was supposed to be, I found him in a carport at a neighbor's house parked next to a BMW.

3. Please describe your specific job/role on the police force?
Bowles: My job at the Wayland Police Department is a patrolman. I work dayshift 7 a.m.-3 p.m. I am a Field Training Officer, I am a member of the Mountain Bike team, I am also one of the instructors that teaches RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) at Wayland High School.Working the dayshift, you get involved with the community and you get the opportunity to get involved with the schools in town.

4. What is your favorite food or meal?
Bowles: Umm ... Anything that doesn't eat me first. I don't miss a lot of meals. If I had to pick a favorite food I would say I am a big fan of sushi – maybe pizza, steak, chicken, I can't pick one thing. Yes ... I like food.

5. If time, money or space was not an issue what would you collect?
Bowles: If you ask my wife or any of my friends, I might have too many hobbies, so I would collect lots of things. I would most definitely collect muscle cars, snowmobiles, boats – pretty much anything motorized that was fun for my family and I to play with.