Wesley Penny
Corporal, Miller County Sheriff’s Office
Corporal Wesley Penny of the Miller County Sheriff’s Office knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. He grew up around family violence and knew that he could help victims receive the support and justice they deserve.
Wesley Penny began his law enforcement career at the Miller County Detention Center, where he was promoted to transport officer and later to chief transport officer. When he had the opportunity to attend the academy to become a deputy, he seized it and advanced in the ranks from there. He spent one and a half years as a Deputy before being promoted to CID, where he spent eight years. He also served as the reserve coordinator and patrol Sergeant. He took a break but still held the title of reserve. He couldn’t stay away, so he came back as a corporal for CID. Corporal Penny has had 20 years of total service, including serving as Fouke City Marshall for several of those years.
Corporal Penny prides himself in helping children and being an ally for them. Once, a lady who Wesley had assisted was driving through Fouke and spotted him at the convenience store. She sent him a text because her son recognized him and said out loud, “That is the man who helped us, Mommy.” and that hit him hard emotionally. He knew then that the work he was doing was all worth it.
The most challenging part of his job is missing person cases. “You want so hard to find them and give peace to the family, and when you can’t get it done, it is aggravating,” says Corporal Wesley Penny.
The highlight of Corporal Penny’s career was a homicide case he worked on in October 2009. The most pivotal point in the case was finding the weapon despite being told it would be “a needle in a haystack.” However, Wesley pushed the boundary, and his supervisors stepped in to help. Along came Alan Keller and K-9 Nero to assist. Within moments, K-9 Nero was able to locate the murder weapon in the area where Corporal Penny thought it to be. This broke the whole case wide open.
The most challenging case in Wesley’s career would be a rape case where a young female child was the victim. Wesley and other deputies attempted to apprehend the suspect, who had a weapon. This led to a 45-minute stand-off which ended with the suspect taking his own life.
Wesley thinks the Back the Blue program is one of the greatest things out there. Having the support of the community and citizens to provide service and safety is empowering and makes any officer want to try even harder to show them appreciation.
PEPSI gets Wesley through most days, but handling difficult situations and the stress of the job is made easier by his faith in God. Wesley says, “It is part of my every day. God is watchful, and I try to do what makes Him proud. Trying to let things go and let God.”
When dealing with conflicts with fellow officers and the community, Wesley would say that would be a God thing, too. “I don’t always assume that I am right or that they are wrong. I always research the best way to get answers. The biggest key is to listen to what they are trying to tell you. It could be as simple as an understanding of the issue,” he says.
When it comes to community support for law enforcement, Wesley desires for the community to realize that citizens are the number one reason why law enforcement officers choose this career. Their goal is to take care of them.
Good morals, good listening skills, patience, sincerity, knowing your limits, and knowing when to ask for help are among the most important qualities an officer can possess. There is no doubt Corporal Wesley Penny holds those qualities near and dear. As he has always said, “Keep your eyes on Jesus and your hands on the wheel. Take everything little by little.”