It has a unique funding source, its deputies patrol the streets of many towns around the county, it transports prisoners to and from jail and court and it provides security at the Windham District Court. But what might make it most unique is the fact that nearly half its deputies are women. Just in the past few weeks, Sheriff Keith Clark has pinned badges on two new female recruits and has one working her way through certification.
Clark said his department has not gone out and actively recruited women to join its ranks. "They came to us." Just out of the Vermont Police Academy, the two new deputies are in the process of receiving their field training, working with experienced deputies. After field training, they will receive further instruction in handling domestic violence, how to use non-lethal force and how to test for driving under the influence infractions.
It's crucial that any law enforcement agency have women police officers, said Clark, because they have a different perspective from men. While men can be much more rigid in how they respond to incidents, he said, women tend to react more calmly and are more likely to keep an event from escalating by talking down a suspect.
"They do a much better job of just talking to people," said Clark. And people tend to react differently to women, he added. While they might be more aggressive toward male police officers, seeing a woman in uniform can surprise some people and keep them from becoming more of a problem. Women are also needed in law enforcement because men aren't the only gender who find themselves in trouble, said Melissa Martin, 32, of Hinsdale, N.H. She also wants to lend a hand to those who have been victimized by crime. "I really want to be able to help people who were wronged," she said.
Martin has a criminal justice degree and had initially considered becoming a paralegal. But that's not enough for her. "That would be boring and I wouldn't be helping anyone." She also likes the diversity of responsibility in the sheriff's department.
"We are involved in every aspect of the criminal justice system. You never know from day to day what you're going to be doing." For Christine Jordan, 36, of North Walpole, N.H., becoming a police officer has always been a lifelong interest.
"And I wanted to help the community," she said. At one time, Jordan was a correctional officer in a local jail. She also has a degree in criminal justice. "I wanted to do more. I also wanted to help people get back on the right path."
Jordan said she knows how easy it can be for some people to get on the wrong side of the law. "I have family members who have chosen the wrong path." That experience has provided with her with insight into how to help people get back on the straight and narrow.
She said her family has been very supportive of her decision to become a deputy. "Obviously it's a little bit more of a dangerous job than working in an office, but with the training I have received from the academy and the sheriff's department, it's safety first and foremost."
Martin said her decision to go into law enforcement wasn't taken seriously at first by family members. "Now my husband is really proud," she said. More women deciding to become police officers signals the changing face of law enforcement, said Clark. Nonetheless, he said, some attitudes are hard to change.
"Some administrators don't see the benefit of having women in law enforcement," said Clark. Since he took over the troubled department in early 2007, the department has added several new deputies, four of them women, but Clark said he doesn't consider his deputies men or women.
"Just officers." The simple truth is the department doesn't have the luxury of choosing deputies based on their gender. "They are meeting the requirements and they are able to do the job," said Clark.
While more and more women are joining up, he said, he would like to see people of different races working for him one day.
Bob Audette can be reached at raudette@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 273.