A father and son in Monroe County, Wisconsin, have embarked on their childhood law enforcement dreams after being sworn in together at the same agency.

Ben Schock and his 18-year-old son Reese were both sworn in by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on the same day. Ben will work as a transport officer while Reese will take a job as a jailer.

It’s Reese’s first job after graduating from high school. For Ben, he’s had a number of jobs leading up to this point and helped run a business in Oregon for most of his youth.

He eventually completed law enforcement training in 2009 but having a family got in the way of his career aspirations.

After 10 years, Ben finally took his first job in law enforcement as a 9-1-1 dispatcher in Monroe County.

“The kids were a lot younger then,” Ben said. “Now it’s time to do what I’ve always dreamed of doing.”

Ben told the La Crosse Tribune that he hopes to interact with the public and show empathy to everyone, regardless of their criminal past.

“They’re still people. They’re going to have good and bad days just like the rest of us have good and bad days. You have to listen to their frustrations and show empathy,” he said.

Reese hopes that working as a jailer will lay the foundation for a lifelong career in law enforcement. He eventually aims to become a sheriff’s deputy.

He called the job “a good stepping stone” to becoming a deputy down the line.

Reese’s father is confident his son will succeed, given his desire to help others.

“He wants to help people,” he said. “If he keeps doing what he does, he’ll do great.”

The entire Schock family attended the swearing-in ceremony. Mother and grandmother Cindy Schock was proud of her son and grandson.

“We’re ecstatic,” she said. “We’ve had family members that have had problems with the law, and that didn’t deter (Ben and Reese) from law enforcement. Now they want to help people like that.”