THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610040199
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Janie Bryant
LENGTH: 98 lines
Detective Amber Whittaker is a pretty good person to have around in an emergency. If the job comes with a siren, she has done it.
At 16, she was working on an ambulance. At 21, she was a Chesapeake firefighter and medic, as well as a part-time emergency dispatcher.
At 26, she was trying out police work as an auxiliary officer.
Two years later, she joined the Portsmouth Police Department.
After four years with the department, she now serves as the public information officer.
Most people would say that the one thing besides a siren these jobs have in common is stress and trauma. But that's not what drew Whittaker to the job.
``I just like dealing with people,'' she said.
She also likes the idea of making a difference, of ``putting the pieces of the puzzle of a crime together and getting someone that doesn't belong on the street off the street.''
Because she sees herself as helping people, it's not the danger or the close contact with criminals that she finds difficult.
It's adjusting to ``being automatically hated'' by some people, Whittaker said.
But Whittaker knows it's just a few people who actually dislike police officers.
In fact, she has had a few occasions when men have followed her police car in an attempt to ask her out.
``One person almost caused me to have an accident,'' she said. ``I actually pulled them over and gave them a lecture on driving.''
Whittaker's husband, Sgt. Tom Whittaker, could hardly fault a man for admiring his wife from afar.
Tom Whittaker was waiting for an opening on the police department and working as a tunnel guard when he first caught sight of her.
She was a nurse then, working a split shift that meant going back and forth through that tunnel quite a bit.
They waved to each other for about six months.
Whittaker didn't even know his name when she told a good friend he was the man she was going to marry.
But she wasn't the only hopeless romantic.
He managed to get her name and address, then sent her a Christmas card in November to ask her out.
They didn't wait for Christmas to go out. In fact, they didn't wait for Christmas to become engaged.
Married 11 years ago, the Whittakers have 4-year-old twin girls.
Name: Amber Hayes Whittaker.
Nickname: ``Amberlance,'' from my years as a medic.
Number of years in Portsmouth: Six.
Birthplace: Maryview Hospital.
Birthdate: Sept. 10, 1964.
Occupation: Police spokesperson/detective.
What job other than your own would you like? Vanna White's job.
Marital status: Married since November 1985 to Tom.
Children/grandchildren: Lindsay Melissa and Loralei Marissa, both 4.
Fondest childhood memory: The time my parents took my brother and me on a long family vacation to Disney World and West Virginia to see my grandparents.
First concert: Boston in 1986 or 1987 at Scope.
What song or book title best describes your life? ``The Never Ending Story.''
If you won the lottery, what's the very first thing you would buy? My house, car, then a vacation.
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? A news reporter, because doing what I do as police spokesperson I feel that sometimes it is important to try and wear someone else's shoes to have a better understanding of what they do. It is important for both sides.
Biggest accomplishment: Being a parent. I wanted to have children for a long time. When I had my twins almost three months early, I wasn't sure they would survive. Now they are healthy and in school. They teach me something new every day.
Most embarrassing moment: I was shooting pool and did not realize that the back seam of my pants ``disintegrated.''
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Doing too many things at one time.
Perfect way to spend the day: With the family. Does not matter what we do as long as we are together.
I can't resist: Looking to do something new - challenges.
Favorite Portsmouth restaurant: China Garden.
Favorite Portsmouth hangout: Portside.
Biggest problem facing Portsmouth: Perception. So many outsiders view Portsmouth as a bad place to go, live or work. What they don't see is all of the good decent people who do live or work here. Portsmouth has a lot of historical areas and neighborhoods, Children's Museum, Sports Hall of fame and much more.
If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?
To improve the perception outsiders have.
For all citizens to join in a partnership with the police department in fighting crime.
For the city to reach the goals set for Vision 2005.
Other than its small-town atmosphere, what do you like about living in Portsmouth? The people, the proximity to everything. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Amber Whittaker gets a hug from her 4-year-old twins, Lindsay, left,
and Loralei. by CNB