5 Minutes with Dan McNeill, sergeant deputy in Union County

FAMILY: Son of Ted and Sharon McNeill

HOMETOWN: Afton

AGE: 39

DO YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT? I have a nephew, Joey, who is a part-time city officer in Wapello.

WHICH POLICE ACADEMY DID YOU GRADUATE FROM? Hawkeye Police Academy in Waterloo

FAVORITE COP-RELATED MOVIE OR TELEVISION SERIES: "Blue Bloods"

ARE THERE ANY CALLS TO DUTY THAT YOU DREAD GETTING? Domestic assaults

BEST EXCUSE FROM AN OFFENDER: I've had this happen a couple times. It's the "I'm speeding because I have to use the restroom" excuse.

ONE THING YOU'D LIKE THE PUBLIC TO KNOW: Law enforcement can't fix, in one day, problems that may have taken years to create. I think some of the general public, due in part to television shows, have an unrealistic expectation when it comes to how quickly a case can be solved. Serious crimes can't be solved in one hour like on CSI.

IF I WASN'T A POLICE OFFICER, I'D BE: An electrician

WHO DO YOU GO TO FOR ADVICE? I used to go to my father a lot, but he passed away. Now I get advice from friends, family or whoever I think has the answer.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOL THAT ISN'T ALREADY? Taking responsibility for your own actions. I'm sure that is probably taught in school, but it doesn't seem to be sticking very well. That's something I deal with every day. It's always someone else's fault.

DREAM CAR: A car that my dad had, that I wish I could get back, was a Plymouth Fury convertible. I think it was a 1967. We had a lot of fun in that car as kids.

DUMBEST PURCHASE YOU HAVE EVER MADE: A ski boat. The acronym of boat is "bust out another thousand." There was not a time I went out to use that boat that I didn't bust out some cash to fix something. There are two happy times with a boat — the day you buy it and the day you sell it.