our heroes: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law Enforcement Hero —
Dream of Field
BY KATIE RODGERS
PHOTO BY TYLER MASK
Wendy Field
found her calling
completely by
accident — then the
rest was up to her
NOVEMBER 2015
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
W
omen in law enforcement have been a minority ever since
the career field was open to them over 100 years ago. And
while the fight against the glass ceiling wages on, Weatherford
Police Department Sergeant Wendy Field has been breaking
down barriers and fighting crime for nearly two decades.
Field began her law enforcement career as a dispatcher, but
originally went to school for computer programming. She got her
associate degree and worked in programming for a short period
before realizing it wasn’t something she enjoyed.
“I wasn’t really happy,” she said of her short-lived career
behind a desk.
A friend of Field in Weatherford told her about an opening
with the Weatherford Police Department. Welcoming change,
she applied. But her life as a dispatcher was also short. While on
duty one day she received an opportunity to ride out on a call.
Her world changed.
“I just thought, now this is something I could do that I could
really enjoy,” Field said.
What was the most appealing part? “Freedom,” she said.
“You could drive wherever, you know, stop cars, etc.,” Field
said.
Field made a $700 investment to enroll in a four-monthcourse at the Police Academy at Tarrant County College, while
continuing her work as a dispatcher. She eventually completed
her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. But even
before finishing her education her boots were on the ground.
She initially planned to go part-time with Weatherford
Police Department, only attending night classes; however,
Weatherford’s then-Police Chief Jerry Blaisdell, a modern law
enforcement pioneer, convinced her to take the plunge into fulltime.
“He said, ‘You don’t have any kids, you’re not married, just
suck it up, go full-time and get it over with or it’ll just drag out
forever,’” Field recalls.
Persuaded, she put all of her belongings in storage, and
stayed with her best friend from high school. She kept this
rigorous arrangement for four months, until she graduated from
the Police Academy. Her daily routine consisted of attending the
Academy from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and then working 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“I lived on about four hours of sleep a night for four months,”
she said.
Looking back, Field insists that she would do it again.
Field enjoys most things about her career in law enforcement,
but favors detective work. Her favorite time in law enforcement,
74
so far, was when she got to work for the CID
(Criminal Investigation Division).
“I was actually a detective, and I focused mainly
on the person’s crimes,” she said. “That was my
passion because I really enjoyed helping people. As
an officer you don’t really get to see the conclusion,
even in the court because if it goes to a court most of
the time you will be testifying.”
But Field doesn’t just enjoy getting to see criminals
brought to justice, she also enjoys the light that
follows an innocent person being cleared.
“Our job isn’t just to put bad people in jail, it’s
also to clear people that aren’t guilty of committing a
crime,” she said.
Asked what the worst part of the job is, Wendy
said recent stereotypes about officers.
“Here lately, I think it’s just all the bad stigma
that’s been put on us,” she said. “There have been
incidents where things weren’t handled like they
should have been, and it’s such a small percentage,