FOR MOST working mothers, 6 p.m. is a time for reheating a pot of soup on the stove or warming bread in the oven for dinner. It’s a time when our modern conveniences, such as washing machines, clothes dryers, and dishwashers come alive as household chores begin.
But for Officer Letisia Diaz, 6 p.m. isn’t the start of an evening at home with her husband and three children. It marks the beginning of a 12-hour shift with the Shelbyville Police Department (SPD).
“When I was a child, I wanted a career in law enforcement. My original desire was to go into forensic investigations. But once I began patrolling the streets of Shelbyville, I learned to love it, and I’ve been there ever since.”
What is there to love about law enforcement, you might ask? Diaz said, “You can never expect the same thing in every situation — the people we meet, the situations that we come across, and the lives we can impact.”
In fact, Diaz has dreamed of a career in law enforcement since she was in elementary school. “My school resource officer, Tracy Harvey, who is now a lieutenant, has been my lifelong friend. She has been a role model of what it looks like for women to be involved in law enforcement. She taught my Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E. program, when I was in the fifth grade. Lt. Harvey’s kindness and approachability are two of the traits I try my best to model each day. Like her, I am approachable and friendly, and a woman of my word. I see too many times where people don’t follow through, they break their trust and their promises, and I don’t want to be one of those people when it comes to others.”
Diaz began working for the SPD in April 2014 and graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy six months later in October. During this time, she has also been a wife and a mother. Both roles are vital, so how does she manage it all?
“I just keep pushing forward,” Diaz said. “Whether I’m at work or with my family, that’s where my main focus is at that time. I take off my uniform and put on my ‘mom clothes.’ Then, I say ‘It’s time to go to school,’ or ‘It’s time to go to practice,’ like other moms do.”
One way that she manages a schedule where she is clocking out as mom when her children are just arriving home from school is by setting boundaries whenever possible. Though she works every other Sunday, on the two Sundays she is off per month, she reserves these for family time.
“When I am off on a Sunday, that is family time, and I don’t tend to do anything else other than spend time with my family,” Diaz said.
She also finds solace at her local church, along with a network of people willing to step in and help her make it all work. Diaz said, “They are very supportive of my entire family.”
What do her children think about having a mom who is in law enforcement? Diaz said, “My family expresses pride in my job often. My youngest child even shares a desire to be a police officer when they grow up as well. They are still very young, so I want them to do whatever makes their little heart happy, if that is their calling. My middle child wants to be a lawyer, and my oldest is interested in real estate.”
While on the job, she routinely sees people at their lowest point. Maybe they’ve made wrong choices and face the consequences of their actions, or someone has victimized them. “There are a lot of bad things that happen. I like to be the person who comes in during those bad times and helps those bad things stop happening to innocent people. I like to give others some positivity and encouragement — something that can brighten their day in that moment. I try to live out Matthew 5:9, which declares, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’”
When the duties of her job become heavy, she graciously accepts help and encouragement. “My best friend from high school is always a person I can talk to, lean on, and pray with, no matter what the case may be. I am very thankful for her. I also have close friends I work alongside or have worked alongside in the past, my former and current shift supervisors, friends I graduated with, and people who are dear to me from my church family. I am thankful for the support and encouragement I receive from each of them.”
Diaz recently attended a two-anda-half-day seminar in Nashville for women in law enforcement. “There were hundreds of women from across the country. A lieutenant from Texas spoke to us about leadership, and I gleaned a lot of information from her.”
Whether in uniform or “mom clothes,” Officer Diaz “walks the beat” to ensure each of us can sleep soundly and walk taller knowing our city is in good hands. GN
