Serving as a WA police officer is a long way from Joseph ‘JJ’ Gonzalez’ previous career as a dancer, instructor and choreographer in the Philippines. Editor Robyn Molloy caught up with the Canning Vale cop to find out how and why he made the transition.
Senior Constable Gonzalez has seen the world through many different eyes but has settled now into life as a police officer in Canning Vale.
Few would realise when they passed him on the beat that until he was 35 his life had just danced along – literally.
He started out as a dancer in the Philippines and worked his way up to becoming a choreographer.
Born in 1964 Snr Const Gonzalez and his wife Julia made their way to Australia in 1996 but a talent for jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop and pop dance did not lead to work.
Unable to find jobs in the entertainment industry in Australia or Asia Snr Const Gonzalez took a job as a waitperson at Burswood.
“When we came to Australia dance was the only trade I had, we tried to go overseas as a couple to get jobs but companies were saying, why would we hire Asians when we are performing for Asian people so they wanted the blonde caucasian looking dancers,” he said.
“We had to change tactics so I got the job at Burswood and during that time I put myself through a security course.”
Because he could speak Japanese Snr Const Gonzalez landed a security job at Perth Zoo.
“It was great, they took me in and that stopped me from doing security patrols of vacant blocks at night and the shopping centres,” he said.
At the same time he continued in martial arts, as he had been into taekwondo in the Philippines and became an instructor.
“I was always into martial arts, a Bruce Lee fan,” he said.
“So that was all happening – waitperson, security officer, martial arts instructor and I put myself through the police course in 1999.”
With luck not on his side, he had to study twice for the police exam.
“The first time I passed it but something happened, apparently the examination was leaked out and the majority of that squad got in the high 90s so they had to scratch that whole squad and redo it,” he said.
“I was a bit disappointed, everything I did was always a challenge and I made it though only to find out ‘you have to reapply in the next 12 months’.”
Successful the second time around Snr Const Gonzalez worked as a police officer in Perth, Australind and South Hedland for almost nine years before dabbling in the mining industry as a safety advisor for BHP.
In 2012 he uprooted again – this time selling everything and heading to Hawaii to work in a family bakery.
It took him closer to his mother, who was in the United States and diagnosed with cancer.
A big change from policing, Snr Const Gonzalez described his role as the errand person, delivering food to large hotels in Waikiki, while his wife was the chief executive.
“I still had police in me, there was one time where I caught a vandal doing graffitti on the wall where we were living so I made a citizen’s arrest, I got him down from the roof, restrained him, called 911 and the Hawaiian police came over,” he said.
“I was asked to do a statement so I did it according to our system and the police officers were impressed and asked me if I had any background in policing and said why don’t you join us but because I was not an American citizen I couldn’t get in.”
After 10 months in Hawaii and after the passing of his mother, Snr Const Gonzalez decided to head back to Australia.
Unable to get straight back into the WA police he worked in other jobs before heading back to police school last year and joining Canning Vale police about seven months ago.
“I am enjoying my time as a local police team officer, you get praises from the community, some are a bit iffy about police being around but normally people say thank you,” he said.
“I think the secret is just being present there and just the way you speak to people, if you get all puffed up, they get puffed up.”
Snr Const Gonzalez said he had never had to draw his firearm, baton or spray since starting the job and enjoyed helping people and making a difference.
“You have to accept that you can’t help all people because they can’t be helped,” he said.
Aged 50 he plans to stick to policing from now on.
