Merideth Stanfill
Patrol Deputy, Bowie County Sheriff’s Office
Merideth was inspired to pursue a career in law enforcement while working at the Bowie County Correctional Facility (Bi-State Jail). Being inside the jail opened her eyes to the world of not only corrections but law enforcement altogether. Before becoming a correctional officer, her mother worked at the Federal Prison in Texarkana, and she would come home with some pretty interesting stories. That jumpstarted Merideth’s desire to work behind bars initially. “After working inside the jail, I gained respect for the police officers who risked their lives bringing the inmates into the facility every day. Hearing the craziness that was going on outside of the four concrete walls I was behind intrigued me. While working in the jail, I found myself wondering what it would be like to work as an officer in the patrol setting, and that is when I completed the academy and became a patrol deputy with Bowie County,” Merideth says.
Transitioning from the correctional facility to the police force wasn’t very difficult for Merideth. She says, “In the jail, I learned quickly how to talk to people and maintain professional interactions with these individuals. It wasn’t always easy interacting with the inmates who were brought to the jail, as it was often the last place they wanted to be. I learned a lot from my co-workers on how to interact with individuals. When transitioning to the streets, it was essentially the same when it came to interacting with people. I always strive to have a positive interaction with the community, given the widespread distrust in law enforcement. My goal going into every call is to rebuild the trust and respect between us and the community.”
Merideth believes the most important qualities of a good police officer are good communication and adaptability. “The demands of police work require officers to be very adaptable in how they approach different situations and calls. Being able to make sound decisions and remaining calm in high-pressure situations are vital to navigating unpredictable situations. Communicating effectively between the people you work with and individuals you encounter on calls can prevent difficult situations and outcomes,” she says.
Conflict and disagreements are pretty common in Merideth’s day-to-day life at work, whether it’s between individuals she encounters or the people she works with. Merideth believes in maintaining a listen-more-and-speak-less mentality. She has often learned that people want to be seen, heard, and understood. Actively listening has helped her gain insight and foster good relationships within the community while also building respect and trust. She also believes strongly in going into every situation with a positive attitude.
Managing stress and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is very imperative in this career field. Merideth does this by working out and staying in shape, which helps reduce her stress levels. She says, “Working the night shift has not always been easy, and the adjustment affects anyone working it. Balancing the schedule between sleeping and spending time with family isn’t always easy, but having a good support system helps a lot. My family has always supported my career choice in law enforcement, so it helps to have people in my corner.”
Having the local community support Merideth and other officers is also vitally important. “I believe the best way the community can support law enforcement is to be willing to build trust and communication between the two. Often, I show up to calls where people believe their situation won’t receive the resolution it deserves, but I often tell them to trust the process and remain open. At the end of the day, we are there to prove to them that even their smallest dilemmas matter to us,” she says.
Merideth also believes that the “Back the Blue” movement has had a positive impact on law enforcement and that it is nice to see the community appreciating the presence of officers. “In Bowie County, I have noticed a lot of respect towards the deputies, and it’s refreshing to see. Coming into this field of work, I expected to receive constant negative reactions from the public, but in my experience, I haven’t seen it much at all. Being raised in Texarkana has made me want to help the community grow in the aspect of public relations with law enforcement. I enjoy experiencing positive interactions with the community, especially with the children within it. I think showing them that police officers are there to help them rather than hurt them will impact future relations between the two,” Merideth says.