Glades County Law Enforcement Leadership

THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS AS WOMEN MAKE UP LESS THAN 14% OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENTS ARE FIRST TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP. AND THAT'S THE CASE IN GLADES COUNTY WGCU REPORTER YOUN JOO PARK SPOKE TO ONE SHERIFF'S DEPUTY BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING. >> STACIE MORAY HAS DEEP ROOTS IN GLADES COUNTY. 5 GENERATIONS DEEP. >> I WAS GRATEFUL THAT SHERIFF GORDON HIRED ME. I WANTED TO WORK HERE. YOU KNOW, I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE. HAVE FAMILY HERE. I RAISE MY KIDS HERE. HAVE FRIENDS HERE. SO THIS IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO COME BACK TO MY COMMUNITY AND WORK. >> THAT INSIGHT OR KNOWLEDGE HELPS WHEN SHE STEPS INTO HER PATROL CAR. FOR ME TO THE SCENE. THING SHE HAS DONE WITH THE GLADES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR 9 YEARS. >> THE JOB IS IS PRETTY DEMANDING SOMETIMES YOU MISSED BIRTHDAYS AND HOLIDAYS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WHEN YOU ARE IN THIS LINE OF WORK. BUT I THINK IT'S A SACRIFICE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER. YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE CHOICES. AND WHEN YOU CHOOSE THIS TIME FOR CAREER, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE SACRIFICES THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE. >> THE CAREER IS REWARDING. EVEN IF THEY'RE A PROFESSIONAL DIFFICULTIES PATROLLING 1000 SQUARE MILE >> IN THIS AREA, IT IT'S A LITTLE WORRISOME BECAUSE MY BACKUP COULD BE 30 MINUTES AWAY FOR 45 MINUTES AWAY. IN BIGGER CITIES. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A PARTNER THAT'S BUT MINUTES FROM YOU ARE JUST A FEW MINUTES FROM YOU. AND HERE THAT'S NOT THE CASE. >> ACCORDING TO LIEUTENANT PATRICK WILLIS, IF THE GLADES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE ROLE OF POLICE HAS EXPANDED THROUGH THE YEARS TO GO BEYOND BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A RURAL COMMUNITY. >> SOCIAL WORK WAS BECAUSE YOU KNEW THE PERSON WE KNEW THE FAMILY. >> SO THAT WAS THAT INTERACTION. CAN YOU KNOW NOW? >> AND I SAY THIS, BUT WHENEVER THERE'S FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING TO GET CUT IS THE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH. >> AS COMMUNITY SOCIAL NATS GETS SMALLER AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES RISE IN SOCIETY. POLICE OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES IN SITUATIONS REQUIRING A SOFTER APPROACH. MAYOR RAY SAYS SHE FEELS FORTUNATE. NOW POLICING HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER. SHE RECENTLY TOOK PART IN THE FLORIDA SHERIFFS, WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. WE'RE FEMALE VETERANS OF THE INDUSTRY DISCUSSED HISTORIC CHALLENGES AND THE POLICE PROFESSION. ONE TOPIC WAS ABOUT DEVELOPING DE-ESCALATION SKILLS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF, BUT WHEN PROBLEMS MIGHT BE WRAPPED. >> IT ALL GOES BACK TO HOW YOU TALK TO PEOPLE IF I IF I CAN SIT HERE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND THINGS ARE DONE COM. AND THINGS ARE DE-ESCALATING, THAT GIVES MY PARTNER TIME TO GET HERE. BUT IF I IF I SHOW UP AND I'M I'M GOING TO GRAB YOU AND GO HANDS ON WITH IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT NEEDS. THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. IT ESCALATED SO GENERALLY IT TRIED TO TALK TO PEOPLE, KEEP THEM CALM. FIND YOURSELF TIME. AND SO YOUR PARTNER CAN GET WITH YOU. AND THEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO AT LEAST OUT YOUR PARTNER WITH. >> THE TENANT WILL AS EXPRESSED FULL CONFIDENCE IN HOW MORAY CARRIES HERSELF IN THE COMMUNITY. >> SHE DID IT BECAUSE SHE KNOWS THE PEOPLE HERE. SO WHEN WE HAVE SITUATIONS, USUALLY SHE'S INVOLVED. FACT IS THAT SHE DOES, SHE CARES BECAUSE HOW WILL SHE TRIES TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE IF SHE STANDS UP FOR? AND THAT'S A THAT'S A A. THAT'S A TRAIT THAT SOMETIMES YOU DON'T SEE HIM. AND I SEE IT. >> THE POLICE FORCE NATIONALLY IS AROUND 15% FEMALE, ACCORDING TO WILLIS, THE GLADES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WITH 30%. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAVING A DIVERSE POLICE WORK FORCE IS IMPORTANT TO SERVING A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TRAINING EVENTS LIKE THE ONE THAT MURRAY ATTENDANT CAN ALSO LEAD TO GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN. >> I FEEL LIKE I WAS TREATED THE SAME FROM MY SUPERVISOR IN AND PASSED SUPERVISORS. I THINK THEY TREATED ME FAIRLY AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO. I DON'T WANT TO BE TREATED DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS A FEMALE. AND IN THE BEGINNING. MY SUPERVISOR IN THE MUCH IF THEY WANTED TO LOOK OUT FOR ME. BUT I AND I PROVED TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I PROVE THAT I COULD WORK RIGHT ALONG WITH HIM AND I WASN'T SCARED. AND AND I I HAD WHAT IT. WHAT IT TOOK TO. TO DO MY JOB AT THE END OF THE DAY. >> MAINTAINING HIGH EXPECTATIONS IS A DAILY ENDEAVOR FOR MORAY AND SHE KEEPS GLADES COUNTY SAFE. FOR WGCU NEWS IM YOUN JOO PARK.