By Austin Hoagland
The Emporia Gazette
LYON COUNTY, Kan. — In the male-dominated field of law enforcement and detention officers, the Lyon County Detention Center stands in contrast, with a strong team of women thriving in their workplace. With a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and motivations, these female officers have lots of stories to tell.
Brianna Cunningham, a detention officer, still remembers the shock on people’s faces when they learned of her career path.
“Most people don’t think females can do this, but we can,” she said. Her confidence may come from growing up in a military family, where she was first inspired to serve, but in her own way.
Not every officer knew that this would be their career path until it was. Brianna Howard , a detention corporal from Iowa , originally set her goals on becoming a veterinarian.
“I applied [to the detention center], and I’ve loved it ever since,” said Howard, reflecting on the initial curiosity that led her to the job.
Others found their positions in a different way. Macy Meyers spent over three years in construction, but kept an eye on the detention officer position until she was hired just two weeks ago. Alexis Edwards , another newer recruit, sees the position as her first step into the world of law enforcement, with no definitive idea where she’ll go moving forward.
Even with the various backgrounds and motivations, the women officers share many common experiences from the demands of their positions in the detention center. A lot of that comes from the different interactions they have with the inmates.
“My favorite part is actually communicating with the inmates,” said Brianna Howard. “Some of them you can have great conversations with, and getting to know people with different cultures is pretty cool.”
Macey Meyers noted that with the many personalities of inmates that come through, the ability to adapt to that environment is key.
“If you’re handcuffing someone and they’re mad, you don’t want to laugh at them,” said Meyers.
With a training system and the support of their colleagues in the workplace, several officers have undergone significant changes during their tenure at the detention center. Maria Aguilera , who arrived five years ago as a timid detention officer, now runs the training program and handles administrative duties.
Aguilera says that the demands of the job helped to break her out of her shell, and now laughs over the way other officers talk about her authoritative “mom voice” she uses to address the inmates.
Katy Siguenza , another officer who handles training duties, uses her own experiences from her difficult first year as a detention officer to support and guide trainees, working with them on how to de-escalate tense situations. Raquel Martinez , who grew up with connections on both sides of the cell, brings empathy into her workplace.
“The only difference between a lot of us and them is we just didn’t get caught making stupid mistakes when we were younger,” said Martinez. Similarly, Deputy Sarah Worley describes her role as being a “light in the darkness”.
The empowerment that is felt by many of the women working at the detention center comes from the top, according to Zach Schafer .
“We support anyone. We’ll put anyone in any position, the best candidate, whether male or female.”
The officers find connections with each other, working in positions that not many outside of law enforcement can relate to. While they aren’t busy with inmates and bookings, they take time to talk, with some even hanging out outside of work.
In a field with low female representation, these female officers are using their experiences to stake their own path.
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