Ask Sergeant Natalie Altizer of the Greensboro Police Department about her best assignment in law enforcement, and she will tell you about VCAT.

Altizer was the first female officer appointed to the North Carolina agency’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, a unit that works with state and federal officers to arrest Greensboro’s worst criminals. VCAT’s mission is to bring in murderers, armed robbers, rapists, and other serious threats to the community.

She’s very proud of what VCAT has accomplished. “We’ve made hundreds of felony arrests. We were even able to locate suspect who had left North Carolina with the help of our federal partners.”

VCAT’s mission aligns with the goals Altizer set out of achieve when she left her previous career and joined the Greensboro Police 23 years ago.

“I was working as a paralegal, and I knew there was more that I wanted to do,” Altizer says. She decided to pursue law enforcement for the reason that many officers decide to apply. “I wanted to stay in the legal field, and I knew that by becoming a police officer I would be able to help others.”

Some of the “others” that Altizer has helped include fellow officers, especially female officers.

Altizer says one of the greatest challenges she faced in her career was just establishing herself with fellow officers. “In my early years in law enforcement, I concentrated on establishing a reputation with my peers that I was a good, hard-working officer. Now she mentors new officers to help them become respected officers.

“My goal for the rest of my career is to continue mentoring and guiding young officers,” Altizer says.