"I grew up in a poor immigrant family in the Lower East Side of NYC. It was difficult. Instead of appreciating all that my parents did and sacrificed to provide for me and my siblings, I resented our circumstances. I dropped out of high school and started working full-time when I was 16. I was happy that I finally had some cash in my pockets, but it wasn’t long before my lack of purpose made me dissatisfied with the way I was living my life. So I got my act together, went to @SUNY Binghamton and got my B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Law, and then to @templeuniv where I got my J.D. I did some litigation and investigative work before I landed my dream job as a police officer with the New York City Police Department. I have been with the @NYPD since 2013 and have spent the last few years assigned to the policy office where I worked on the department’s use-of-force policies and other force-related issues. I love what I do, and I truly believe that my work is making a difference. While I have been able to draw on my legal and patrol experience in my policy work, there are gaps in my skills and knowledge that I want to fill in order to increase my effectiveness in this arena. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, SPIA’s faculty, staff, and students, have helped me learn new ways of approaching and analyzing policy issues. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to study at SPIA. I look forward to bringing all that I am learning back to my work to better serve the people of New York City." – Andy Chiu MPP ’21. #PolicyProfile is an @Instagram series featuring our community. Want to be featured? Comment/DM us.