In a field made up largely by men, the women in leadership in regional law enforcement work to support each other and provide service to the community while encouraging young women to follow suit.
Organized almost a year ago by McComb Police Chief Investigator Vickie Carter and Summit Police Investigator Deborah Garfield, Pretty in Blue provides an opportunity for sisterhood and community service.
Women cops from around the area met at Courtyard Rehabilitation Saturday to present gift bags prepared by members of the group.
“This is our first time out here doing this,” Carter said. “Our goal is to continue to grow and to do this year after year.”
In their first year, the group organized to fill and distribute Christmas gift bags to all the residents of the rehabilitation center.
Carter said they’re starting small and looking to grow with the addition of new members. She said the group is a place for policewomen to come to for support and to work creatively to address issues throughout each community.
The group is made up of members of each of the regional law enforcement agencies and includes relative pioneers within the field, which members of the group say shows young women the possibilities they could have in pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“We’re going to show women that we were here,” Magnolia Police Assistant Chief Sonya Woodall said. “We made a difference.”
Woodall and Carter said by showing other women in law enforcement a picture of support and success, more women may feel empowered to pursue careers behind the badge.
Carter is the first female chief investigator in the region, Woodall is the first woman to hold the second-in-command position throughout the region, Pike County Sheriff’s deputy Brandi DeMoll is the first female K-9 unit officer to lead the program and sheriff’s deputy Bena Jones is the first female motorcycle officer.
Woodall said the group is an example of the success women have when they work to support each other and collaborate to solve problems.
“The community is everything,” Carter said. “We want and need the support of the community.”
Carter and Garfield said their hope is to encourage more talented women to join the ranks of the police force. Carter said over the course of her career, women have increasingly expressed interest in service with the force, but there still remains much work to be done to achieve gender parity.
Woodall said all the women in the group come from diverse backgrounds and have varying talents and interests. She said their differences in service and experience provide an example of the many different careers available to women in law enforcement.
“We’re learning from each other every day,” Woodall said. “These women specialize in so many different things.”
