As a young girl growing up in Iraq, Saja Almogalli did not feel comfortable approaching police.
Now, she's an officer herself.
At 16, Almogalli arrived in Burlington as a refugee from Iraq by way of Turkey. She taught herself and her siblings English and came to establish a life in Vermont, graduating from Burlington High School and the University of Vermont before eventually pursuing a career in law enforcement.
And just a few months ago, Almogalli became the district liaison officer for Winooski schools, splitting her time between elementary, middle and high school students.
Winooski School District is one of Vermont's most diverse. Over half of students identify as a person of color, and one-third of students receive multilingual services.
Part of what drew Almogalli to her new role was the opportunity to help that student body feel more comfortable around law enforcement, in contrast to her own experience growing up.
On a recent Monday morning, 开云体育's Jenn Jarecki popped by Winooski's JFK Elementary School, which is attached to the middle and high school, to meet Almogalli. Shortly into their conversation, Jarecki asked if Almogalli felt welcome when she and her family first got to Vermont. This piece was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We鈥檝e also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Saja Almogalli: Definitely, definitely, definitely, until this day. That's why I do so much now, because I feel like I have to pay back the community that welcomed my family.
We came with nothing, and I mean nothing, not even a jacket on, and we settled. We had a home for us. It was beautiful, like three bedroom, bathroom, like all for you. The kitchen was filled with stuff.
They assign you a case worker, and the one we had was so amazing. Like, I'm so grateful for that opportunity, for that person, for Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, because it's hard to move from one place to another, but also adding all that that you have to now worry about 鈥� your food and your place, all of that would have just made it harder for us.
Jenn Jarecki: Can you talk about your relationship to law enforcement growing up?
Saja Almogalli: I grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, and I'm like any other Iraqi, we don't have an amazing relationship with law enforcement or authority in general, because it's a corrupt system. Authority is for people who can afford it. I can speak about my whole family 鈥� never had a good interaction.
We're seven girls and two boys and my mom, so it's like a house full of girls. The head of household usually is the man. And when Dad passed away, my mom really couldn't voice or say anything or do anything. Every time she goes to authority, they would never speak to her. They'd never look at her.
Jenn Jarecki: What were your interactions with law enforcement like in America before joining the Burlington Police Department?
Saja Almogalli: We had a school resource officer when I was in high school. I would ask them something. My siblings would look at me like, I'm in trouble. "Why are you talking to them? Like, what's wrong? Are you in trouble? Do you need help?" Like, that's their reaction.
I've had amazing interactions with police officers. In high school, I did the Junior Milers program. It's a running club and we meet at the Burlington Police Department. It's like the community area, and you get to, like, go in, and sometimes you see, like, uniform officers going in and out. Sometimes you run with them. I always thought, like, they were so cool.
Throughout all my high school, I continued and that made the connection with law enforcement stronger and stronger and stronger. And then by the time I graduated, it was 2020, and I don't really need to tell you what happened that year 鈥� everybody knows. And that made me look more deep into like, "What's law enforcement?" and "Why this is happening here?" When I'm not seeing, you know, that side of law enforcement. All I'm seeing is just amazing people that I work with.
Jenn Jarecki: How do you try to approach your job in a more inclusive way, while still providing space to acknowledge that many people have faced discrimination and may not want to have further interactions with the police, in whatever form that takes?
Saja Almogalli: When I wanted to become a police officer, I wanted people to understand that someone like me, who's a person of color, who's a female, who's a refugee, who's also Muslim, like, I have my own understanding of what racism is. I know how to be you. I've been in your shoes. There's always someone that's going to say something about you, your parents, the way you look, and to take that and understand that and also provide that safe space for them.
There is bad law enforcement, and I agree with you, but there's also good ones, and I really focus on New Americans, because I know how it feels to not be able to trust or talk to a police officer.
Jenn Jarecki: How does that approach play out in your day to day?
Saja Almogalli: I come in with a uniform as much as I can, so I want them to get used to me. I tell them what I do in school. I tell them what I do outside school. I tell them, "How can I be a resource for you? Because I work for you, and I need you to understand, I am a resource for you. You don't have to be in trouble to talk to me."
On Fridays, I spend my last block in art class 鈥� favorite class 鈥� and I just do art with the kids, and I go on field trips with them, if they, you know, have field trips. So, I do a lot of things like that, just so they know that I'm just a normal person like them 鈥� just wear a uniform, nothing else.
Jenn Jarecki: So what is the normal, if there is a normal day-to-day for you? What are the ins and outs of your role?
Saja Almogalli: I try to get here before or around the time everybody gets off the bus. I welcome them in. Most kids see me and will ask for stickers. I hand stickers out. My mom works in the kitchen here, so I go hang out with her sometimes 鈥� I say "hi."
And then lunchtime, my favorite time of the day, I get all the hugs, and, "Can you come sit with me? Can you come sit with me?" And I wish I could sit with every kid, but there's just one of me.
I probably have, like, a meeting or two after and then that's it. The end of the school day. I'm just so grateful for this opportunity, for the community, for Winooski, for really, Vermont.
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