Women on Patrol
|  Video
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| Retha Colclasure |
| 11/10/2009 |
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| Women are beginning to enter the field of law enforcement in more and more ways. Some women are brand new to the field, and starting out from the bottom up. One of those women is the only female patrol deputy in Burleigh County. Angie Wicks became the first female patrol deputy in more than two decades just a few months ago. While she`s not new to the department, she worked as a detention officer for three years, she says she`s excited about her new job. And when she applied for it, the thought of being the only female on patrol didn`t cross her mind. After years of working in customer relations, Wicks decided it was time for something new. "I enjoy working with different people, all sorts of different people," says Wicks. "This is a good opportunity, plus you get to help people out. I love it." Wicks started as a detention officer with Burleigh County in 2003. When a spot opened up on patrol, she didn`t hesitate to apply. "If you have the right mindset, it takes a certain kind of person to actually do it," she says. "If you`re very sensitive and people call you names and get rowdy and you get upset and take this personally, it`s probably not the job for you." As a deputy, Wicks deals with a wide variety of calls, and anything can happen. Sometimes that might mean dealing with a large, uncooperative person. "I have to think with my head before I go in, I`m not going to wrestle with this person, that`s for sure," she says. Other times, her verbal skills aren`t quite what`s called for. Rounding up some wayward cattle is just one part of the job, a job she says anybody can do, male or female. "They`re here to help you, not to block your path and stop you from getting there," she says. "The only one that`s going to stop you is yourself." And though she`s new on the force, she says she`s received nothing but support from anyone else. Wicks says it wasn`t a challenge to balance her home life with her job, because her kids are all out of high school. But she says since the job requires working different shifts, it could be a challenge for a younger mom. |
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