TT: Kirk, please tell us where you grew up and

what originally brought you to police work.

KK: I rew up as a Iarm kId In ruraI Nebraska.
I had always enjoyed wildlife and outdoor
work and when I was a lad I ran across an
adverLIsemenL In LLe IocaI press Ior NaLIonaI
Fark FoIIce, wILL LLe LLouLL oI once I was 21
years old, I could easily and quickly go on to
a 0overnmenL job! However I Iearned very
quIckIy LLere was noL oIn Lo be, '...WoosL...
you're LIred!' I wenL on Lo a CommunILy
CoIIee wLere LLe coIIee's dIrecLor made
the idea of police work very inviting, so my
LLouLLs oI workIn Ior NaLIonaI Fark's
police fell away to joining the regular police.
Looking back at my career now, Im glad I
chose this profession!
TT: How Ion was your academy LraInIn
and what were its most challenging aspects
for you?
KK: WILLIn 0maLa BLaLe, LLe Nebraska FoIIce
Academy classroom training was seventeen
weeks long. After the classroom, each recruit
LLen rode wILL LLree dIIIerenL oIBcers caIIed
EIeId TraInIn 0IBcers rIdIn wILL eacL
LraInIn oIBcer sIx weeks wLIcL ave new
recruits the experience of working in real life
situations, and yet stay under the guidance of
aLraInInoIBcer. TLemosL cLaIIenInparL Ior
me was the criminal law classes and making
cerLaIn LLe vIoIaLIon BLs LLe Iaw and LLe Iaw
BLs LLe crIme... so Lo speak! And anoLLer oI LLe
biggest challenge was learning to make quick
decisions and reading peoples thoughts and
reactions when at a dispatched call.
TT: Was your move Lo NarcoLIcs a naLuraI
progression of the job, or did you seek out
the assignment?
KK: I have always loved the dope world
and there are some very fascinating people
within that environment. And since I always
had a passion for that world, I began to groom
myseII Ior a posILIon wILL LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL.
In the police force, a person makes himself
known by his work, and whenever I had
InIormaLIon LLaL LeIped LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL, I
would share it with them. Too many people
want to keep things for their own standing
at the expense of others, but this wasnt
my way; I wanted the good of the whole and
wasnt seeking my own glory. And I think this
LeIped secure my pIace In LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL.
TT: WLaL Lype oI LraInIn dId you o LLrouL
Lo eL ready Ior LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL and
undercover work?
KK: 0nce assIned Lo a dru unIL, mosL
NarcoLIcs UnILs send LLeIr peopIe Lo LLe Dru
Enforcement Administration for training.
EuL, In my case I Iearned on my own, ouL on
the streets, and before any formal training.
For example, if I arrested someone for
narcotics, Id ask them during the interview
about amounts, cost, what was the high of a
particular drug like and how long does it last
eLceLera. 0aLLerIn sLreeL IeveI InIormaLIon
is always rewarding as the people, the drugs
and the terminology are always changing.
NarcoLIcs wIII never o away!
TT: Didyouimmediatelyfeel comfortableonthe
sLreeL, or dId your conBdence buIId wILL LIme?
KK: I think I was comfortable more or less
sLraILLaway, buL my conBdence buIIL over
LIme. WLen deaIIn wILL peopIe InvoIved In
narcotics, you have to keep in mind that the
look of a drug buyer or seller can be almost
anyone and anything! You can buy dope from
a scruffy tough street hustler, to a person in
a suit and tie. In my case I had the perfect
look for the heroin and methamphetamine
crowd! EuL I aIso Lad Lo adapL Lo BL In, Ior
example, I do not smoke cigarettes but I had
to in undercover work, or drive junk cars
Lo use In buys so LLe bad uy Bured I was
just getting by. Im reminded of what the
AmerIcan acLress oI sLae, BIm and LeIevIsIon
CIorIs LeacLman once LoId me wLIIe we were
at dinner one evening; In acting one has to
make oneself larger than life. And that is
what undercover work is; acting. The obvious
difference, of course, is that if a scene does
not go well, there may not be an opportunity
Lo sLouL 'CUT' and ask Ior a reLake! IL was
a dIIBcuIL envIronmenL IearnIn LLIns, Ior
example; that no one deals with last names,
and that people often do get hurt and die,
and women are frequently used and abused,
and money is much more than just currency.
And I am amazed how people betray each
oLLer jusL Ior LLe sake oI LLe rusL. EuL I
relish the work, performing. And in that odd
way knowing that all could go very wrong at
any moment, and yet going back and doing it
again, and again! I got to know the dealers,
their families and their dogs! I got to drink
with them, eat their food and have their little
kid bouncing on my knee, while all the time
knowing that in a few days, or weeks, their
life was all about to change!
TT: Do you have a good story youd like to
sLare Irom your LIme In LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL?
KK: 0ne LLaL Is prInLabIe, Lmmmm....! 0ne
time I was making a buy in a ghetto house
that sold black tar heroin.
[-LQ\WZ[VW\M"
EIack Lar LeroIn Is a Lype oI IIIIcIL opIaLe narcoLIc dru
formed from the incomplete acetylation of morphine.
Users who intravenously inject black tar heroin are
at higher risk of venous sclerosis - a condition where
the veins narrow and harden, making injection there
nearIy ImpossIbIe LLan users oI powder LeroIn. EIack
tar heroin is produced in Latin America, and is most
commonly found in the western and southern parts of
the United States]
In spite of the huge amount of scarring on
her arms, neck and legs from needle use,
the male dealers partner was actually a
very aLLracLIve IorLy Bve year oId woman!
It should be noted that heroin dealers are
not your ordinary salesmen in the drug
world - rarely could I stay and talk - so I
was to get in and get out once the buy was
made. The dealer did not like the fact the
woman was becoming a little amorous with
me, actually nor did I! And it was about to
go very wrong with the three of us in that
room. I had already pulled money out of my
pocket to buy the tar heroin when he shouted
something at her, and she suddenly turning
into a maniacal demon, clawing and biting at
him! As he fell, he slipped sideways across
the couch-end, and then I had never heard
sucL screams comIn Irom a man. HIs wLILe
tee-shirt turned red with blood and pus! I did
Lave a wIre on and LLe oLLer oIBcers knew
something horrible was happening and the
cavalry arrived. Long story cut short; when
he fell across the couch-end, the dealer had
Lorn open severaI Iare boIIs on LIs back! He
was taken to the hospital under guard, the
heroin seized... and the attractive woman
wanted my phone number! A year later I was
TOUGH TALKs intrepid US reporter and writer Fred Kracke
met up with Kirk Kunze, a true worrier who has spent his
career wILL LLe FoIIce DeparLmenL oI 0maLa, Nebraska UBA.
He Las spenL LIme In UnIIorm FaLroI, AuLo TLeIL, HomIcIde and
NarcoLIcs. In LLIs InLervIew, Ered LaIks Lo KIrk abouL LIs LIme
wILL LLe NarcoLIcs UnIL
called out to a suicide. It was the woman, she
had shot herself between her breasts while
on a maLLress on LLe Boor, and Ler Len year
old daughter had found her. The life of junkies
and dealers!
TT: DId dIIIerenL drus creaLe specIBc
challenges and personality traits among
the users.
KK: Yes! MeLLampLeLamIne use Las become
LLe scoure oI LLe MIdWesL UB, and causes
paranoia, loss of teeth, hair and a constant
clawing at oneself. The health risks are
astronomical! Also, someone under the
InBuence oI MeLL can be awake Ior days,
LaIIucInaLIn, becomIn Insane BLLers, and
that poses a risk to both the police and the
public. LSD can be absorbed through the skin
which poses the obvious health concerns.
And there is a relatively new phenomenon
called excitable delirium.
[-LQ\WZ[VW\M"
Excited delirium is a condition that manifests as a
combination of delirium, psychomotor agitation, anxiety,
hallucinations, speech disturbances, disorientation,
violent and bizarre behaviour,
insensitivity to pain, elevated body temperature,
and superhuman strength]
So what starts out as a suspect running,
BLLIn and acLIn LysLerIcaI wILL poIIce,
can actually end up with his (or her) heart
stopping leading to police having an in-
custody death. I have been present at three
of these incidents, and autopsies revealed the
chemicals in the body caused the resulting
death. In poor or ghetto areas teenagers and
older males are dipping cigarettes, marijuana
and cigars into Formaldehyde! I do not know
who dreamt that up, but the user becomes
exLremeIy vIoIenL. AIso FeyoLe use Is quILe
wIdespread now as weII. FeyoLe, Laken Irom a
cactus, is a hallucinogen which is allowed on
Indian Reservations for religious ceremonies.
There are certainly some fascinating
characters in the drug world, and although
personally I will never understand why
someone has the desire to stay stoned for
days; I can accept it now. It is certainly a
lifelong discipline trying to understand why
people use illegal substances!
TT: WLaL are LLe daners specIBc Lo
undercover work?
KK: Undercover work boils down to staying
safe while purposely putting yourself in
harms way. As I said before; you become
an actor but for us, the scene or the lines
can change at any time. Added to that you
can factor in equipment failure, betrayal
by informants, being set up by the bad guys
simply to steal your money and worst of all;
being found out that you arent who you say
you are! Life in this environment can be very
cheap indeed. Also, there is an odd type of
daner In LLe undercover worId Ior oIBcers,
getting too involved with the men and women
you are after. It is possible that the folks
that you are investigating can become your
IrIends. WLaL Lappens wLen LLe uy you are
after likes the same kind of motorcycle or the
same football team or drinks at the same bar
as you? Added to that; you are out with your
friends or your family and you suddenly make
eye contact with the person you had arrested
or bouLL dope Irom. FIus you cannoL eL
romantically involved with the people under
investigation either, but it has happened to
some oIBcers FrosecuLors cerLaInIy do noL
like this surprise information coming to light,
IeL aIone your bosses BndIn ouL! FIus you
have to be very careful with the narcotics you
are handling and to this day I am amazed as to
why cops have to touch, sniff, or feel the dope
LLey Bnd. TLere are LorrId LeaILL rIsks wILL
the chemicals involved in making this stuff.
And so these are some of the real dangers to
this kind of work; it is a very involved game
which can be both treacherous and deadly.
TT: WLaL was LLe worsL parL oI LLe job?
KK: The only thing that immediately comes to
mind is the injury or death of my men. In the
job I Lave sLood wILL FresIdenLs, BenaLors
and motion picture stars, and I have also been
BLLIn Ior my own IIIe. 0ver LLe years I've
watched dozens of people die when I tried
so hard to save them. Ive found that blood
is sticky and slick and a person can so easily
Ioose LLeIr way In LLe LeaL oI baLLIe. FerLaps,
the hundreds of car accidents, the violent
crimes, the suicides, have all been excellent
teachers because Ive seenahundredautopsies
yet I prefer the two open heart surgeries I was
invited to attend and marvelled at the wonders
of a live human being.
0ne oI LLe oLLer bad parLs oI LLe job Is
delivering death notices, although Ive
acquired much practice at it now; the knock
at the door, the porch light comes on and
the look on the faces knowing you are not
bringing good news. Some will disagree
with me, but Ive found it okay to hug a
stranger good-bye after such events.
There were many times at night
on stakeout when the air was still
and I felt as if the wilderness was
IIsLenIn. Many cops carry a
smaII cross or BL. MIcLaeI's
medallion in their pockets
for good luck, but I carry
a short, rubber, elastic
tourniquet in my pocket
as a visual reminder I will do
everything in my power to save
someone.
TT: WLaL dId you Iove mosL
abouL FoIIce work?
KK: MosL oI aII I
love the crime
scenes. Maybe
its because I
get to try and
Bure ouL wLaL
had occurred and to
piece everything together.
Bome InvesLIaLIons were so baIBIn LLaL LLe
answers did not come until months or years
for detectives. There were a few times I felt
ten feet tall, for example when a little kid got
rescued. And it is a great feeling when people
come Lo a unIIormed oIBcer Ior LeIp wILL
someLLIn. 0ne nILL comes Lo mInd wLen a
man had gotten so enraged that he destroyed
LLe Louse, LerrorIzIn LIs LLree kIds. WLen
I arrived, the three kids leaped through the
large, broken, front window and ran to me,
clinging to me so tightly. I knew I wouldnt let
anyone hurt them!
IL Is easy Ior me Lo LeII youner oIBcers LLaL
the badge on their uniform is a representation
of the shield the knights-of-old carried, and
I still tell people that I slay dragons and
rescue fair maidens for a living. Some will
laugh at me but the job sinks in to the point
that I believe it is an honourable profession.
I protect people and yet I am not a servant.
I have enjoyed the friendships of good, solid
men and women in this profession. And, I
have also known much sorrow.
*********************************
.ZML3ZIKSM"
IL was a reaI prIvIIee Lo InLervIew Mr.
Kirk Kunze and to be reminded that
there are still heroes left in this world.
This should remind everyone that while
the rest of the world sleeps there are
honourable men and women like Kirk all
over the world that risk it all so that we
may have the privilege of a safe society.
*********************************
Interview: Kirk Kunze Interview: Kirk Kunze
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