South Georgia Times

WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WEDNESDAY - Ofc. J. Dougherty 

I just began my 19th year as a Montgomery County Police Officer.  Fun fact, the 1st day of the Police Academy was on my 23rd birthday, so I always have a double celebration each year.  Prior to becoming a Montgomery County Police Officer, I was a part-time Wilkes Barre Township Police Officer in my home state of Pennsylvania.  

Three days before the start of Session 43, of the Montgomery County Police Academy, I received a call asking if I was still interested in the job.  I assumed that the department was not interested in my application, since I had waited nearly a year before receiving that call.  Without hesitation I said yes.  That day I resigned from my job and moved to a new state, knowing no one or anything about Maryland.  I had never been to Maryland prior to this hiring process.  However, taking risks and following my heart has been my motto in life. I come from a small town where everyone seems to know everyone and very few people ever leave the area.  I was determined for that never to be me.

Law enforcement never crossed my mind as a possible career choice when I was growing up.  In high school, I thought I would be a nurse, which then changed to wanting to become an elementary school teacher.  I worked in retail and customer service since I was 15-years-old and discovered early on that I enjoyed interacting with people and helping solve problems.  I realized I never wanted a job that lacked variety.  While attending college I took a criminal justice elective and loved it! I was hooked. In my sophomore year, I decided to change my major to Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement.

Leaving my home with no friends, family or support was one of the biggest risks I had ever taken.  My journey as a young woman recruit was challenging but changing. I constantly had to prove myself and overcome any fears or insecurities I had. That was the most difficult but rewarding things I had done in my life.  It was a life experience that helped mold me into the strong independent person I am today.

I am very fortunate to have been accepted into a large and diverse agency like the Montgomery County Police Department.  Working for this department has allowed me to experience the various areas of law enforcement that I was interested in.

My love for interacting with people and doing different things daily has drawn me to remain a Patrol Officer.  Currently, I have worked in three of our six districts.  However, over the years I have participated in several temporary assignments.   I have worked in, what was then called our, Education Facility Officer Unit, where I was assigned to a high/middle school as their resource officer.  I have also worked in some of our Investigative Units to include Child Abuse- Pedophile Unit and Petty Crimes section. I have also been a Decentralized Recruiter since 2004.  Most recently, I experienced working in my favorite assignment thus far, as I was assigned to our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). This unit primarily works with individuals with mental illnesses.  Also included in that unit is our Autism, Intellectual, Development, Disabilities Alzheimer’s & Outreach Program, which I have been involved with since 2007.  Working in these different assignments has made me a well rounded officer.

In my personal life, I enjoy certain things that help me in my job.  I was always interested in forensics, so I took training in scene processing, and I am a trained Shift ID officer.  I enjoy mountain biking and my dream was to be a full-time bike patrol officer.  I became certified, but had children before an opening was available.  Unfortunately, the bike units schedule does not work with my home schedule but I volunteer to ride for the department any chance I get.  I also enjoy investigations and I have attended many schools and courses related to investigations.   Those schools have definitely given me an upper hand when my kids or significant other try to “tell stories "about what they did or did not do  

Working in Law Enforcement has kept me grounded.  I continue to learn about people, their needs, struggles, strengths and weaknesses.  I still enjoy the challenge of attempting to make this world a safer and more accepting place.  

My advice to anyone interested in law enforcement is that this career has tons to offer.  There are so many parts that keep this organization working.  No matter what your interests are there is most likely something related in this job.  To use a quote from a now retired officer that trained me in the academy, “police work is a front row seat to the greatest show on earth.”  Things will not always be easy but if you want it and work for it you can achieve anything.

Original source can be found here.