Officer Delta Jolly is the Community Engagement Officer at the Georgetown Police Department. If you haven’t met her yet, make it a point to do so. She is a busy lady, providing education and outreach for the department, working on her black belt in Krav Maga with her daughter, and teaching Criminal Justice at Austin Community College. And she still has time to run 5K races in her tutu. She is already preparing for National Night Out, Chase the Chief and Blue Santa, and here’s a little more about this real-life beauty queen. (You can ask her about her titles!)
What do you APPRECIATE most about being in law enforcement?
I really like helping people. I teach classes from Kindergarten to retirement age and I love sharing our purpose, our commitment and our compassion. I am so glad I get to start with the babies and make sure they know they can trust police officers and believe in them.
What is the craziest thing you’ve seen or done on the job?
Other than riding through the lobby on my scooter with my tutu? When I was a dispatch operator in Bryan, I answered a call from a woman who demanded that we get her money back. Turns out, she was an irate drug dealer and the man she had just sold her product to had given her a counterfeit $20 bill.
What do movies and TV get wrong about your job?
We don’t solve cases in 45 minutes with commercial breaks, and we certainly don’t get to trial in the next week. Sadly, we deal with children more often than I’d like. Kids are my soft spot, so sometimes it can be heartbreaking; and kids being hurt is my line in the sand. All I want to do is give them the life of wholesomeness and life skills we got growing up; playing outside with friends and feeling safe in our surroundings.
What is the deal with donuts?
I don’t know about donuts, but we do enjoy a sugary power ring every now and then. Historically, the two have been together because donut shops were often the only place open in the middle of the night, and any place you can get something good you can dunk in your coffee is okay with me. Still, don’t judge me, we have been known to wait in the parking lot for the “hot” sign to come on at the Krispy Kreme.
What do you tell young people who are thinking about a career in law enforcement?
It is what you make it. This can be a long and happy career if you have the right mindset. Don’t do it if you think it will make you rich. It’s about doing good things. It’s about being able to be a light for fellow officers and citizens when bad things happen. I tell them the honest truth about the work and the job because I want to inspire women in my field and little girls who want to grow up and be police officers.