Women on the Team

After patrolling east Austin for 3 years, I transferred to the Training Academy as a Cadet Instructor and later served as a District Representative in north and central Austin. In 2005 I promoted to the rank of Detective and worked assignments in the Child Abuse Unit, Internal Affairs, the Family Violence Unit, and Sex Crimes. I enjoyed my time in the Child Abuse Unit the most because I was able to help child victims.

In 2012, I promoted to the rank of Sergeant where I was assigned to a patrol shift in the northeast section of the city. I later worked for the Recruiting Unit which I found to be very rewarding because I was able to watch applicants progress from our hiring process through the academy to graduation. I really enjoyed getting to know them and watching all of their hard work pay off.

In 2016 I promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, where I was assigned as a nightshift Lieutenant over patrol. In April 2017 I was selected as the new Community Engagement Coordinator in the Chief’s Office. My role is to oversee the District Representative program and the community policing program. In this position I am able to create partnerships and collaborate with external stakeholders. I am learning how important it is to foster positive relationships with the community and how to improve our community policing efforts as a department. A few times I have found myself outside of my comfort zone and it has opened my eyes to a lot of new things, which I think is important for personal and professional growth.

One thing I love about Austin is that it’s a great place to live and to raise your family. I came to Austin when I was 6 years old, so I have seen the city grow in many ways. Austin is such a friendly city with a lot of outdoor activities for the active person. I love going to the Hike and Bike Trail (Lady Bird Lake) to enjoy a nice brisk walk. I also enjoy all the different races they host here in the city - from 5K’s to full marathons, there’s something for everyone and every skill level.

Historically, policing has been considered a non-traditional career for women. I find that it is a great way to act as a social worker, listener, and mentor. I have improved those three skills over the past 23 years at APD. The skill I’ve really enjoyed fostering the most is mentoring new officers and the youth in our community. I enjoy being a role model not only for women but for young girls of color, to show them that succeeding in this career is possible while being a woman and African-American. It is also important as a female officer to know the history and how far we have come in this profession. The first woman was not hired until 1978, and today we have more and more women joining the Department each year. 

This was a great career choice for me because this job has allowed me to make a difference in the lives of those I came into contact with over the last 23 years. I’ve worked hard to make an impact not only with the community but with the officers that I’ve worked with. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. Being an instructor at the Academy enabled me to follow my dream and teach our cadets. I enjoyed sharing my experiences and the mistakes I made along the way in my career. There is a motto I always try to live by not only personally but professionally, and that is: “Always treat people the way you would want to be treated.”

I remained on patrol for several years before I decided to try something new. I was encouraged to apply for the Motorcycle Unit. I was hesitant but knew I was up for the challenge. I was informed that the Austin Police Department had not had any African American female officers on their motorcycle unit, so I became interested. Many people informed me they did not feel I would be able to ride the bigger motorcycles or pick the motorcycle up but I sought to prove them wrong. I passed the strenuous Motor school and served in that unit for 2 ½ years. I then had a major accident and transferred to the community outreach unit.

I served 2 years as a District Representative and had the most educational and joyous time working directly with the community. I was free to work on different projects with kids, solving community problems and being a point of contact for those in need.

I then promoted to Corporal and transferred to the Missing Persons Unit where I worked mainly with at-risk runaway youth. My passion was to work with kids and I was able to learn what triggers youth to choose to run away. I worked to develop an outreach program to try and curve the number of drop outs and runaways being reported. Through this work I learned that communication with parents and youth is critical.

I finally had the opportunity to work with kids on a different level and transferred to the Child Abuse Unit. Here I am able to work for kids by assisting with investigating cases of children who have been physically, mentally or sexually abused. Those close to me felt this would be a hard job to handle mentally. So far, I have been able to overcome the case load and focus on the reward of helping children who can’t speak or are afraid to tell anyone what happened to them.

I love working for the Austin Police Department because of the diverse agency and community I serve. I have been included in communication for change and have had opportunities to be flexible in the things that I choose to work on in the community. The Department was great when I first came on as a single parent. My chain of command worked with me to ensure I maintained a stable family life and I am so appreciative of that. When I first started, I was afraid of working as an officer because of male intimidation. I knew I had to stand my ground and allow others to get to know me and the things I cared most about. And I am glad I did!—I was given the respect I needed to have a successful career.

My decision to become a police officer came after I witnessed the good that law enforcement officers and the justice system can do. When I saw that my father was capable of change, I wanted to be a part of that change for someone else. His change didn’t come for years, but it did come. I am grateful for it because it allowed me to establish a better relationship with him as an adult and to spend time with him before he passed away. I chose this job hoping that I could positively affect someone else’s life in a similar way.

I started my career with the Austin Police Department in November of 2005. After graduating from the police academy I spent several years on patrol, working nights and evenings until my daughter was born. I then transferred to the Recruiting Unit where I worked a day shift and continued working for that unit after having my son. Playing such a vital role in the beginning stages of someone’s career was so rewarding for me. I later transferred to the Training Academy where I was assigned to the Continuing Education Unit. My job there involved training our commissioned police officers on a variety of subjects that are important to our work as police officers. I recently promoted to the rank of Detective and am currently serving in the Sex Crimes Unit where I investigate cases involving sexual offenses. 

What I love most about working for APD is that our police officers all have the same opportunities for change. At the rank of Police Officer there are a variety of jobs available in specialized units. After your required time on patrol, you can work those assignments with a lateral transfer rather than having to promote to a new rank to get there. It allows for a lot of flexibility and you’re constantly learning new skills. In my case, having an opportunity to switch from night shifts to a day shift made it much easier to grow my family. Then, when the timing was right, I was able to study for and take the promotional exam and embark on a new path in my career. It's really nice having so many options because you can find what fits your lifestyle.

If you are a woman who’s considering a career in law enforcement, my advice to you is this: do it! Don’t let anyone hold you back or question your abilities. You are more than capable.

When I graduated from the police academy I was assigned to an evening patrol shift in Frank sector, which is an area in Southeast Austin.  After a few years I transferred to a day shift and patrolled David sector, an area in southwest Austin. I now work for the Recruiting Unit and have been here for over four years where I’ve worked as a Recruiter, Intake Officer, and Background Investigator.  

I love working for the Austin Police Department because there are so many different career paths for us to choose from once we complete our required time on patrol.  At some point in my career I would like to work as a detective in one of the many investigative units at the department.

When I’m not working I love to spend my time with my family and I also like to go for long trail runs in one of the many greenbelts in the Austin area. Austin is a beautiful city with great weather and offers so many great ways to get outside. 

After graduating high school, I joined the U.S. Army and had plans to become a police officer after serving my country. As my life’s journey of events unfolded, I became a young mother and my primary responsibility then became my family and raising my children.

I served 10 years in the military and although my passion for becoming a police officer never faded, I waited until my youngest child was a senior in high school before applying for the Austin Police Department.

I am thankful to the Austin Police Department for giving me the opportunity to make my dream become a reality and am honored to serve the Austin community as a police officer with the Austin Police Department.

The Austin Police Department provides a vast amount of opportunities to be involved in different programs and to be a part of specialized units. I am currently a member of the STAR program which is a police exchange program similar to a foreign exchange student program you might find in high school. With this program, officers have the opportunity to go to Germany and Spain in addition to hosting a police officer from Germany or Spain. I am also a part of APD’s Special Response Team (SRT) which primarily responds to situations that may require riot control to keep everyone safe. After spending 4 1/2 years as a patrol officer, I transferred to one of APD’s many specialized units. 

Being a police officer with the Austin Police Department is rewarding in many aspects. I am appreciative that I can serve in a role in which I can be a part of making the community safer, but also have the opportunity and ability to help positively impact someone’s life and be a role model to children, adolescents, and other women. 

I moved out when I was 16 years old and found out just how difficult life could be. I moved as far away from home as possible to Washington State but after only two years, I had to come home to the city I loved. I attempted to make amends with family and started working for the family business, doing private security for several high risk properties, but still had very little to no direction for my life in general. It was during that time that I met several Austin police officers and was always impressed by their mere presence and how they handled the issues at hand. One day, one of those officers urged me to consider a career in law enforcement. I thought about it and decided to take the plunge. I began working out to prepare for the academy and quickly found another passion in the gym. I can still remember my first day on the job and remember thinking I was in for the ride of my life. I fell in love with law enforcement. You have to love this, or it will make you crazy. To this day, I still believe I have the best job in the world! 

I always knew that Austin was the department for me. The city has so much to offer. The police department does as well. APD has so many opportunities in all different aspects of law enforcement: patrol, investigations, public relations, motors, bikes, etc. I’m currently assigned to the Mounted Patrol Unit. We do the job of a normal police officer (and then some); we just do it from horseback. The Austin Police Department has allowed me to combine two of my loves, horses and law enforcement. So I guess dreams really do come true!

I graduated from the academy in December 2017 and have been with the department as a patrol officer since that time. I wanted to become a police officer for a few reasons: I grew up listening to stories about my dad's "normal" day at work (a retired San Antonio Police Officer), which sounded fun; the second reason—I can never turn down a good challenge! The academy was mentally and physically challenging but at the end of every day I was one step closer to my goal: graduation! As an officer, I continue to be challenged every day. I am trusted to make difficult decisions in a split second for complete strangers which could negatively or positively affect their lives.

Even with the challenges I face on a daily basis, I love the career I have chosen to embark on with APD. With Austin having such a diverse community, I have had the opportunity to interact with people from all around the world and from all walks of life.

The department itself is just as diverse as the community it serves. APD has so much to offer. There are officers from every corner of the country employed within our ranks, just as there are residents that have moved here because of the Austin lifestyle and the city’s employment opportunities.

Deciding to begin a career in law enforcement is easy. Everything else after that decision is the hard part. The road leading up to becoming a commissioned police officer with APD will not be easy in any way but it will all be worth it when your badge is pinned on your uniform.

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”

-Colin Powell