Salisbury Police plan Open House for women interested in law enforcement career - WBTV
There are currently 12 women in the Salisbury Police Department, ranging from beginning officers to a captain on the command staff.
SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - Across the country, city and county police and sheriff’s departments are trying to recruit more women to wear the badge. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the national average of sworn women police officers is 13%, and that number hasn’t changed since 1998. In Salisbury, the police department will hold a special event this Saturday to try and encourage women to consider joining the ranks.
There are currently 12 women in the Salisbury Police Department, ranging from beginning officers to a captain on the command staff. One of those 12 was so impressed with her school resource officer when she was a student, that it prompted her to become an officer.
“I want to be the difference; I want to be the change in the world,” said Recruit Manager Shaneesha Smith.
For Smith, it began when she was a student at the former Vance High School in Charlotte.
“Growing up in school we had the coolest SRO. I just loved everything about his job, he had a passion for policing and working with kids and I wanted to start my career as an SRO,” Smith recalled. “All the kids loved him, we all loved him, we got along it was like a family member. We just really respected him and what he did for work.”
Smith has been with Salisbury Police for four years and is the recruitment manager. In that role, she hopes to bring more women into the ranks.
“A lot of women don’t get into law enforcement because they don’t think they can do the job, or they have some fear in them like ‘I don’t think I can get through the academy.’”
An Open House for women this Saturday coincides with Women’s History month. History was made 70 years ago when the Salisbury Police Department hired its first four women officers…including Lee Stone’s mother, Pauline.
“It was one of those things where I think she just felt comfortable with people and she enjoyed being with others and helping them which is the ultimate job of police,” Stone said.
That has also been the inspiration for officers like Captain Melonie Thompson, a 28-year veteran and the highest ranking woman at the Salisbury PD.
Officer Smith says her career has been rewarding, and thinks it would be for other women too.
“As the recruiter I get a lot of applications in but I’m not getting a lot of females apply and I think it’s just the fear of them thinking they cannot do the job or whatever, but I just want to be that word and that face and that voice to let them know you can do this…I did this, you can do it.”
The Open House is this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Salisbury Police Department, 130 E. Liberty Street.
“We just wanted to try and get women in, do an open house, do a meet and greet with our female officers here at the police department, give them a tour around the department, give them job descriptions,” Smith said.
Refreshments will be served and attendees will be able to speak with current female employees with the Salisbury Police Department.
The department is currently offering a new hire bonus of $750 and a lateral hire bonus of $5,000 for sworn officers who transfer from another agency. The lateral bonus is given once the officer has been employed with the Salisbury Police Department for six months. For more information or to register, contact [email protected].
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source: https://www.wbtv.com/2022/03/22/salisbury-police-plan-open-house-women-interested-law-enforcement-career/
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