Having a police officer in the family requires a different outlook and lifestyle.

One student in particular who has been affected by this is Dylan Luciano and Clay Burke, the sons of fathers who work for the police department.

Dylan’s father, Sergeant Rick Luciano, is currently retired at the age of 60, and has been serving the community for thirty two years. Growing up in San Leandro, Sergeant Luciano has been successfully working for the California Highway Patrol, keeping communities and people safe.

Growing up with a father as a cop has made Dylan adjustable to living in an environment surrounded by many police officers.

“I grew up in a family where I was always meeting police, and officers, and as a kid I didn’t understand the job but I understood the job looked [interesting],” Luciano said. “Having a cop for a dad means he works long hours and which also means he’s gone a lot from home.”

Throughout the years Dylan has been inspired to take the role of his father. As he grew older, he understood the importance of being a good citizen and most importantly helping others.

“Seeing the job now makes me want to do it a lot more,” he said.

Dylan hopes to achieve his goals as he grows older, and wishes to become as successful of a police officer as his father.

As a way to help him reach this goal, Dylan has been greatly involved with a lifestyle similar to his fathers, by working as a police cadet at the San Ramon police department. This department gives him the opportunity to interact with other officers and be more involved with his career.

Working in the department has allowed Luciano to be involved with hand on jobs.

“We get to go to a shooting range and shoot.”

Being involved in a great program has given Dylan many experiences, that he will hopefully be able to apply in his future life as a cop.

“The most interesting part is riding with the officers and getting involved with police work… It’s not what people think and it really opened my eyes, even having a cop as a dad.

At times having a father who risks his life everyday can become worrisome, but  eventually it becomes a part of everyday life.

“I wouldn’t say I constantly worry about something might happen to him, because it’s just a reality I grew up with, but the thought is always there,” Luciano said.

Another student who has been effected by having a dad as a police officer is Clay Burke.

Clay’s father Paul Burke has been a police officer for twenty years, and works as a San Ramon corporal, which is the position ranked above a police officers position. Corporal Burke first started off his job by working as a police officer, just like Dylan’s dad.

Corporals first years of his job, occurred when he worked as a police officer in Stockton. Throughout his years working in Stockton, Corporal Burke has brought amazing stories to share to his son.

One story in particular that occurred during his time working in Stockton, was when he worked an all night graveyard shift.

Clay shares that one foggy night, his father was driving by a high school and saw a car that had crashed into a school billboard. The car had crashed horribly into it, and because it was so foggy no one else saw to report it.

What inspired Clay about this particular night, was when his father rushed out to see if someone was in there, he found a woman clinging on to her life. His father called for an ambulance but knew they wouldn’t make it in time to save her.

He heard her mumble and he leaned down with her and she asked him to hold her hand before she died. The woman had no family left so Clays father held her hand until the ambulance arrived.

Stories like these are what inspire Clay the most.

“He has some amazing stories while on force,” Burke said. “I admire the fact how he actually puts his life on the line every time he puts on a uniform.”

Clay wishes to become an officer like his dad, just as Luciano plans to become a sergeant as well. These two high school students are currently close friends and have a lot to relate to.

Although a lifestyle like Dylan’s and Clay’s may seem different to others,  it has only allowed them to have a deeper understanding in the role their father plays. As Dylan and Clay learn more and more about their fathers, they continue to look up to their inspiring parents.