February 2011

I would like to congratulate Capt. Jane Tutor from the University of Mississippi Police Department for receiving the Lafayette County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award at the annual banquet this year. She is a Mississippi Women's Law Enforcement (MSWLEA) Board Member and currently working on her Masters in Criminal Justice from the University of Mississppi. Way to go Jane!!
I would also like to congratulate Commander Heather Kouts for her well deserved promotion to Commander of the 4th District in New Orleans P.D. She is both a Board Member for IAWP and a member of MSWLEA. Way to go Heather!!
MSWLEA is currently planning the 4th Annual Training Conference for Mississippi to be set in July or August this year.
Please email me with any updates, promotions or information that can be put in my blog.
Be safe out there and talk to you again soon!

Happy 2011!

Hello all,
Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote on my blog. The law enforcement community has lost some great heroes since my last posting. Texas lost two female officers who were just 24 years old. We just lost our first one of the year, Deputy Suzanne Waughtel Hopper from Clark County S.O. in Ohio. Lets keep all these women and all other law enforcement officers from our region in our thoughts as we serve our communities. There were 24 law enforcement officers killed from our region last year. Alabama 1, Arkansas 3, Florida 9, Louisiana 6 and Mississippi 5. Lets take our knowledge of the threats we face daily along with our training and women warrior mentality to carry on this year with safety first to see another day.
We are gearing up for the MSWLEA 2011 conference this summer. We are actively looking for some dynamic instructors to help us have another wonderful conference. If you have any suggestions or ideas please feel free to contact me.
Bless you all and talk to you soon!

Minneapolis Conference 2010

Hello members,
I really hate it if you missed out on this years conference in Minneapolis. There were great speakers and great networking going on! Lets see, I think I actually met other women law enforcement from 10 countries, and caught back up with my friends from South Africa Police Services. I am still trying hard to get one of those yellow SAPS shirts! There were 64 countries represented and that my friends is an international association! We strive to empower women and that is exactly what I came back to Mississippi with, is an empowered desire to increase membership in this region to empower all those other women in law enforcement that need support and networking. We had ONLY 3 members from this region show up and next year I would like to at least double that for Lexington, KY. 2011. I promise you are missing an amazing adventure and once you go you will be hooked!
Be safe and inspire!

3rd Annual MSWLEA Training Conference

Hello all,
I am happy to report that we have had a wonderful turn out for our conference this year. It was two and a half days with some great speakers. Trinka Poratta from Project GHB and Chief Anne Kirkpatrick from Spokane, Washington P.D. were both dynamic instructors.
I had the giant IAWP display, along with all the various pictures available to display as a focus point of the display area. I set out the new IAWP banners that Carol got printed up for us. They look great! I am looking forward to seeing how many new IAWP members we have since the conference! Its just a short time away from the IAWP Conference in Minneapolis, so see you there!

Fallen Officer

It is with a heavy heart that I report the loss of a sister in law enforcement from the next county over in Marshall County Mississippi. Lt. Carol Scruggs from the Marshall County Sheriffs Department was killed in the line of duty responding to a call for service friday, June 25th, 2010. She leaves behind 4 children. Her visitation will be wednesday June 30th from 6-7p. at Brittenum funeral home in Holly Springs, MS. Her body will lay in state at Rust College thursday morning from 10a-11a. The funeral will begin at 11a. I have sent flowers on behalf of the MSWLEA family, and any memorial contributions for Lt. Carol Scruggs can be made c/o Mrs. Kattie Hampton P.O. Box 414 Lamar, MS. 38642. Lets keep her family, friends, coworkers and community in our thoughts and prayers.

Hello again all you IAWP members. I have an upcoming training conference scheduled for an IAWP affiliate Mississippi Women's Law Enforcement Assoc. (MSWLEA). The conference is at the Downtown Oxford Inn and Suites in Oxford, MS. July 19-21st, 2010. The topics will include Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault by Trinka Porrata from ProjectGHB and retired Los Angeles Officer, Leadership by Chief Anne Kirkpatrick from Spokane, Washington Police Department. We will have the Regional Counterdrug Training Center come up and do a training on Patrol Officer Response to Street Level Narcotics. U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock will be be a guest lecture, and Genny May, recently confirmed as the U.S. Marshal for Louisiana's Eastern District, and the first female to serve as U.S. Marshal in Louisiana. We will have an IAWP booth along with various other vendor booths. For reservations please call the hotel at 662-234-3031, or contact me at the Oxford Police Department at 662-232-2400, or Sgt. Tait at the same number. I hope to see you all there. I can fax or email a registration form if needed.

Well folks, I have finally got the blog up in running thanks to Sandra Martin. I hope her family isnt stuck in South Africa still. We just completed the First board meeting of 2010 in South Africa and the hosts were amazing. The South African Police Services provided a wonderful place to stay and wonderful outings to see the beauty of South Africa. I will attach my pictures soon so keep up with me. :-)