3-Foot-Tall Criminal Investigator Big Asset To Police Department
SANTA ANA (CBS) — Ryan Berger may be only three feet tall but this police investigator isn't letting that slow him down as he tracks down criminals.
It also hasn't kept him from carrying one of the biggest caseloads in the economic crimes unit.
His co-workers describe Berger as one of the hardest working men in the Santa Ana Police Department.
"Don't let anyone tell you, 'No, you can't do that,'" Berger says, "because you can."
Berger was born with a severe form of osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. As a child a mere sneeze or bump could fracture his bones.
Armed with a business degree he applied for jobs in data entry and web design but felt that employers couldn't look past his disability.
Then Berger decided to try his hand at something a little more familiar -- fighting crime. His father, John, is a retired Santa Ana police officer and his brother, Mark, works on the Irvine police force.
Berger uses wireless devices to help with crime reports and a pointer for other tasks. But members of the police force say it's Berger's sharp mind and quick wit that's helped him become a big asset to the Santa Ana Police Department.
