Croatian Refugee Becomes Officer, Rises To Reserve Major
Image of Officer Robert Pavlovic
The air was hot and thick, feeling like soup.
That was the instant reaction to Robert Pavlovic’s first steps on U.S. soil, which happened to be in Mobile, Ala., in the dog days of summer, 1998. Arriving from a refugee camp in Germany, a friend and fellow Croatian told Pavlovic to meet him in Kansas City; there, he could find work.
And that’s how Pavlovic ended up in the Midwest, though he was robbed twice on the bus ride from Mobile to Kansas City.
“People were grabbing me and going through my pockets,” Pavlovic recalled. “I didn't understand English, so I don't have recollections of what they were saying, but I had nothing.”
If anything, Pavlovic had resilience and survival skills. He was born in Yugoslavia, but wars shredded the country to bits and brought turmoil. Then, at 15, military forces kidnapped Pavlovic from the playground and took him to the battlefield.
“They just snatched me,” Pavlovic said.
He would escape, having to trek from country to country, year after year, until landing in that German refugee camp. By then, his hometown was destroyed and uninhabitable. At 21, Pavlovic was forced to find a new home, with the U.S. welcoming him.
For someone so deeply impacted by volatility, it may be no surprise that Pavlovic majored in World History at Park University. He would graduate in 2004, but he knew on Sept. 11, 2001, that he would enlist in the military after graduation.
“Since I was 15, I was always on the run from something,” Pavlovic said. “I was stateless, you couldn’t feel anything. No. I would join the military to give back to the country that welcomed me, gave me a home and a sense of belonging.”
The U.S. Army would be Pavlovic’s home for the next three years. He was a transportation cargo specialist in Virginia Beach, Va., handling logistics for large cargo vessels. With his service complete, he returned to Kansas City.
A happenstance brought Pavlovic to KCPD. He was managing a car rental company when he ran into a former professor, who was a former officer. Pavlovic mentioned being bored at work, and the professor told him that at KCPD, he would have opportunities to utilize his mental and physical talents.
In 2007, Pavlovic entered the police academy and has been proudly serving Kansas City since then. Today, he is a Community Interaction Officer (CIO) at North Patrol Division.
“That feeling of doing something that goes beyond just existing, doing something for somebody else, that changes people's lives,” Pavlovic said. “It's so rewarding. Of course, there are struggles but, in the end, there’s a rewarding satisfaction. It's beautiful.”
The structure and discipline that the Army and police department instilled in Pavlovic drew him back to the military. He wanted to continue serving his country, and joined the Army Reserve a couple of years after becoming an officer.
Pavlovic’s time in the Reserve for the last 17 years has been rewarding. His leadership has shown itself, as he is now a major and on the path to becoming a lieutenant colonel. He has traveled the world and served his country, all while still serving Kansas City. The department also provides 120 hours of paid military leave.
“The department has sent me care packages and been in contact with me,” Pavlovic said. “Everybody, from officers to deputy chiefs were in contact with me. It's a family on top of your family support that you need.”
KCPD has police officer openings. Apply here.