Sgt. Alma Hayes and Sgt. Kaylena Albright stand outside May 19 at the Mexico Department of Public Safety. They are the department's newest sergeants. Albright was promoted in October becoming the first female sergeant in Mexico Public Safety, followed by Hayes who was promoted earlier this month.

The Mexico Department of Public Safety is continuing its legacy of supporting women in leadership roles in what was once thought of as a male-dominated profession.

Alma Hayes was promoted earlier this month to sergeant, becoming one of three women in leadership roles with the department. She shares the rank with two other officers including Sgt. Kaylena Albright, who became the first female to hold the position back in October. The department’s chief, Susan Rockett, is one of only four female police chiefs in the state. Rockett was a source of inspiration for both sergeants when deciding to apply for the new role.

“It gave me a new perspective knowing it is possible to achieve stuff like that,” Hayes said. “I definitely look up to her.”

Hayes began working at the department in 2012 after moving to Missouri from California. She grew up in Long Beach where she witnessed her first homicide at age nine. The person killed was a local shop owner. She was mesmerized by how the police handled the situation, and soon looked to her local police force for mentorship. One officer in particular served as a positive role model in her life for years to come.

Albright grew up around Centralia, but similarly became interested in police work after enduring a low point where law enforcement was able to help out and changed her perspective.

“I had moments in the past where I contacted law enforcement, not in the most positive way, but it always ended up being a positive thing,” Albright said. “After that experience, I decided to go to the police academy.”

In just two and a half years, Albright was promoted to sergeant from public safety officer. Since Hayes was hired in 2012, she has noticed a steady increase in the number of women applying to be a police officer and climb the ranks. She recalls the first time she first met Chief Rockett. Hayes was hired as the first female public safety officer and was called into the department to meet the chief. She was surprised to see a woman sitting on the end side of the desk, and says she felt inspired to serve her.

“I had never seen a female police chief,” Hayes said. “So when I walked in and saw that the chief was a female, I couldn't tell you the feeling. It was just pretty dang cool.”

Mexico’s Department of Public Safety has roughly 35 members of law enforcement, and four of them are women. Each has obtained a bachelor's degree or higher. The proportion of women with college degrees in the labor force has almost quadrupled since 1970, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.

Women in the labor force are also more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree by the time they are 29 years old. Hayes studied criminal justice administration, and Albright studied legal studies and sociology in Missouri.

This August, Hayes and Albright were anticipating to attend the annual National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives or NAWLEE conference.

The national association connects women in law enforcement across the nation through mentorships and training programs. Rockett told the Ledger back in October that after attending her first NAWLEE conference, she became determined to climb the ranks and became the chief of police. Most notably, Rockett recalled how the mentorship program gives women a way to offer understanding to one another and share advice.

This year’s conference was canceled, but that has not dampened both Hayes’ and Albright’s ambition to one day become the department’s Chief of Police.

“If she can do it, I can do it too,” Hayes said. “So why not? You can't stop us. We're aren’t knocking on the door anymore. Now, we are kicking it in.”

Until then, they will continue to protect and serve as the new sergeants of the Mexico Department of Public Safety.

nav-oc Naviga Writer 2020-05-22T14:33:34Z false yes NEWS Fiona Murphy/The Mexico Ledger momex-052720-news-shattered-ceilings