Officer Kevin Singh doesn’t respond to the traditional calls of a patrol officer. He’s a member of the community services unit in the Albany Police Department, one of four officers who deal with quality-of-life issues.

“A lot of the stuff I deal with is trying to mediate people, kind of just be the middle person in between,” Singh says.

These issues can range from anything like noisy neighbors, or the call Singh was on at the time: someone dumping trash on a side street.

After opening a complaint and calling the Albany Department of General Services (DGS), Singh will check back, make sure the trash is removed, and notify the one who made the complaint.

“I’ll call back the person complaining and say, 'I looked into it, I called DGS; they came and removed it,' " he says. "I’m sure [there will] be someone happy in the street.”

It might not be the action-packed role we think of when it comes to being a police officer.

“I get a chance to meet good people, help a lot of people, and sometimes, I feel like a mentor to people," Singh says. "Some of these kids I’ve seen when they were born, and 15, 20 years later, they’re grown up."

But after the events of this past summer and the public demand for police and justice reform, it's a job Singh says is more important than ever, as he constantly interacts with the public.

“It gives me that time to really sit down and talk to people," he says. "Sit down and hear their side, and I’ll explain my side. Most of the time, after I sit down and explain why we do things, most of the time, they’re OK with it. But I’m very fortunate to be in the position to sit down with them and spend time with them and explain things to them.”

Singh says policing has and will continue to change. But he’ll always remember getting advice from his mother the day he was sworn in as a police officer 27 years ago.

“You must have compassion," he recalls her saying. "As I got older and as I got mature here, I started to see exactly what she meant. So, it’s a very rewarding feeling.”