"It's different being the son of a police officer. At least it was in my experience."

"Kids knew what my dad did. Sometimes that was really good and sometimes that wasn't as good.

"I think when my dad said 'Don't be a police officer,' he was thinking about what would be best for me. He thought that it could be a hard job and you can see some really difficult things in this career. I think he was just being a protective father. I think he was very proud of me the day I became a police officer.

As Paul M. Philipp reflects on his father, the Austin police chief's son, Jason, 21, is following in his father's footsteps, continuing a family tradition of police work.

The son is a police intern in his father's department.

When asked what he calls the police chief, Jason Philipp hesitated for a moment.

"It depends on the situation," he said.

The wisdom of a father knowing a child is tested daily just like it was tested in two previous generations.

Four generations of the Philipp family have worked in law enforcement. Great-grandfather John Schaffhausen was the first, serving the St. Paul Police Department in the late 1800s.

After skipping a generation then came Paul's father, Paul Philipp, a 27-year veteran also of the St. Paul Police Department.

Paul was the third generation and now his son, Jason, is the fourth.

Like great-great-grandfather, like grandfather, like father, like son.

Same family, same ambition to protect and serve.

Family photos line shelves in the police chief's office. They depict the four generations of peace officers.

Jason is in one of them. It's a snapshot of a little boy smiling at the camera and wearing his father's hat, tie, boots and sergeants stripes.

Anne Sexton wrote, "It doesn't matter who my father was. It matters who I remember he was."

In the Philipp family, they remember police officers.

Chief Philipp continues the tradition

Paul M. Philipp wanted to work for the St. Paul Police Department when he finished his education and training.

"I very much wanted to do that," he said. "I tested back in the late 70s, but there were between 20 and 30 openings and 3,000 people who tested."

All he ever wanted to do in life was become a police officer like his father, who was a well-liked and well-respected patrolman all his career.

The St. Paul native married and he and his wife, Kathy, also have a daughter, Sarah, who is with the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa.

Jason Philipp graduated from Austin High School in 2000.

"Ever since I was as young as I can remember I wanted to be a police officer," he said.

The young man grew up in a household where his father put on a uniform, strapped on a utility belt that held among other things a handgun and wore a shirt with a badge to work each day.

"I remember when I was younger, he worked afternoons and he would come home for dinner in his uniform and we would sit around the table, talk and have dinner together," he said.

It is at this point that the father takes a photo from a shelf and shares it. It shows Jason, wearing his father's uniform.

"Jason must have been 4 or 5 years old at the time," said the father, while his son can only smile.

When the son decided to become a police officer, he told his family.

Having made the decision, he did what he could to give him an edge in law enforcement. He completed a mentorship with the Austin Police Department while a senior at AHS and did ride-a-longs with full-time officers.

His mother tried to talk him out of a career in law enforcement.

"My mom worries about it a lot," he said. "I think my dad just basically wanted me to keep my options open and not be limited to being a police officer since it runs in the family."

Now, he is a senior at Bemidji State University. After one more year of college studies, he must attend skills school, take a test and then be licensed.

This summer, Kyle Klapperich, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Klapperich of Austin, and Philipp are both interning with the Austin Police Department.

Austin patrolman Kurt Zehnder wrote the curriculum for the department's Intern and Mentorship Program. The more than 400 hours of training will introduce the interns to all facets of law enforcement, starting with administration and dispatch, courts, corrections, ride-alongs with the Minnesota State Patrol and Mower County Sheriff's Office and then more ride-alongs with full-time Austin officers.

This is the first year police interns have been able to wear their own uniforms complete with APD shoulder patches. Jason Philipp is excited.

"It's a good feeling to know I am a step closer to becoming a police officer," he said.

Father and son, working together

By contrast, Paul M. Philipp is observing his silver anniversary as a police officer.

Paul Philipp's career has been on a fast-track. After becoming an Austin officer in 1978, he was promoted to sergeant in 1987. Four years later, or a year after completing the training program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, VA., he was appointed Austin police chief.

Now, Philipp the father, sees his son doing something he never had the chance to do: work with his police officer father.

Both father and son are against the state's new concealed carry weapon law.

In fact, there is little they disagree over.

"We seem to agree on most issues," Jason Philipp said.

"I think we have a pretty common view on how business should be run," Paul Philipp said.

However, the father looks at his son with a discerning eye when it comes to police matters.

"I'm impressed by Jason's desire to do it and do it right," the father said. "He's aggressive. I think he wants to get out and do the job and be a servant to the people and fight crime, too.

"I think he has a good head on his shoulders and that's probably the most important asset a police officer can have."

Paul Philipp has his concerns about his son's work. It's by no means an ordinary job.

"Having done the job I know what it's about and I can't help but be concerned at times about what he's going to do," Paul Philipp said. "I also know, having done the job, that I enjoy it immensely and I want him to enjoy his career just as much as I enjoy mine."

Looking to the future

Although the son would like to work for his father, he does not intend to be a police officer in Austin where his father is the police chief.

"For certain reasons, I don't think it would be a wise decision," Jason Philipp said. "I think other people would find it bizarre, maybe, that I got the job over them. I don't want to run into any problems like that."

Jason Philipp thinks his generation generally holds police officers in good standing, despite the segment of the population that dislikes them.

"Usually, that's the group of people breaking the law," he said. "For the majority of people, they respect and appreciation police officers."

Paul Philipp said, "I think the public's perception of law enforcement changes with the times and certainly events like 9-11 do make a difference in how the public perceives its law enforcement and fire officials."

The son is honest to a fault. When asked an embarrassing question, he responds and his father doesn't interrupt.

The question: "Have you ever had a bad experience with a police officer?" The response: ask the police intern sometime.

The easy candor the son displayed was disarming and leaves the impression that he's a young man who has walked the walk and therefore can talk the talk about law enforcement.

Today, father and son are visiting Kathy Philipp's father, doing some work for her dad and spending Father's Day together.

Tomorrow they will be back working together. Protecting and serving. The police chief and his son, the police intern.

"I'm very proud of him. I'm very excited to see where his career goes and I'm very proud of him for all that he's accomplished so far," Paul Philipp said while his son flashed a smile.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com