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Published on Tuesday, April 8, 2003
in the Gainesville Sun
LAKE CITY - Staring out from beneath his Florida Highway Patrol hat, Mike Burroughs looks the part of a stern state trooper.
But take a peek inside his Columbia County office and it's clear Burroughs' work philosophy isn't all about being tough and serious.
The room's walls, cracks and crannies are occupied by clowns - a needlepoint clown, about 25 clown figurines and clown dolls, and clown paintings and drawings.
"I just always liked clowns. I've got more, believe me," said Burroughs, 43, a FHP lieutenant and the public information office for the 11-county Troop B. The area includes Alachua County and much of North Central Florida. He's served as the public face for the troop for about two years.
And, in spite of the severe appearance contributed by the uniform, Burroughs takes the message of his clown collection - approach life and the job with a smile on your face - to heart.
"Most of the time, you always see a smile on their face," Burroughs said about clowns. "If something is bad, you never see what's going on behind them. So, hopefully, a clown is always bringing joy to somebody else. You keep your problems inside. You deal with that some other way, and you always try to bring joy to somebody else. That's why I like clowns.
"Just keep busy doing something that's going to help somebody else. That's kind of my motto."
Burroughs, an 18-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, applies that doctrine at work.
Hard and mean is how some people view law enforcement, he said.
"I see that that's what people think about troopers and what they think about law enforcement. And I see a lot of people who carry that image as law enforcement.
"I hate it," Burroughs said. "I hate it because children look at a trooper or a law enforcement officer as somebody that they should be scared of."
Instead, Burroughs said, when he makes public appearances, whether he's giving a news report on an accident or making a presentation about seat belt safety, he wants people to see him as someone who's approachable.
"You can check at these day cares and schools that I go to," he said. "I think what that does that lets those children see that you're a person just like they are."
Geneva Burroughs said her husband's job might make some think of him as a stern guy. "He really isn't. He's like a peacemaker. He's a good guy. He's always happy."
It's the interaction with people, plus his father's example on the force, that led Burroughs to a career with the Highway Patrol.
Burroughs' father retired from the Highway Patrol eight years ago, he said.
"He was on for 34 years, and he was on back during the time when you drove down the street and people waved at the trooper. I admired my father. I loved the work he was doing with the people. He was really a community-minded person," he said.
Interaction with people, the same type of community involvement his father practiced, is what Burroughs said he loves about his job as a public information officer.
"There's nothing I like better than when you're done, somebody comes up to you and says, 'Man, you have changed my heart about seat belts,' " he said.
Burroughs grew up in Pahokee, a small town in South Florida on Lake Okeechobee, along with his five brothers. He married his teenage sweetheart. The two, who married young, have been together 28 years.
His early jobs included work at a grocery store, a stint with the U.S. Army and a job as an office manager.
"But I just wasn't happy. And then, that's when I applied for the FHP," he said.
A Lake City resident since 1995, Burroughs said he and his family - especially his then-teenage daughters - at first had qualms about the move from beachside Brevard County.
"They gave me mean looks for a while, let me tell you," he said, referring to his daughters.
But, almost a decade later, Burroughs said he can't imagine leaving his North Central Florida home. He hunts with friends, loves his east Lake City neighborhood and is active at his church, Pine Grove Baptist Church.
"Our main thing is church and home. We do a lot of volunteering at the church," Burroughs said. In particular, he said his family is involved with a program that works with children called Team Kids.
This year Burroughs became a grandfather, and one of his daughter's moved back home after her husband was shipped overseas because of the war. He's also studying to receive a master's degree in ministry. He earlier completed a bachelor's degree in education.
"I just can't stand to sit still. I have to plan every minute of my day," Burroughs said. "One of these days, I'm just going to get so old that I've got to quit doing that I guess."
Burroughs will be eligible for retirement from the Highway Patrol in seven years. His future plans may include the church or teaching or both.