TAZEWELL, Va. – Pat Belcher retired from the Tazewell County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office in December 2021. It wrapped up a career in law enforcement that spanned more than 28 years.
In that time, Belcher was a trailblazer, becoming the first female road patrol officer for the Town of Tazewell’s Police Department.
She recalls the resistance she encountered.
“I can remember several calls I had to answer when I was still working for the town and at that time, they didn’t accept females very well. And some of them were a little reluctant to back me up on some calls,” Belcher said.
Belcher adds she eventually earned respect from fellow officers and commanded it from suspects.
All the while she and her husband were raising their two grandchildren after their daughter passed away. In fact, Belcher was middle aged when she began her law enforcement career. She says she didn’t think she had a chance at the first law enforcement officer job she applied for: Code Enforcement Officer.
“I did get an interview. And when I got the interview, I thought, well, they’re just doing this so they can mark that little check box with the federal government saying that we interviewed a female.” said Belcher.
After a brief pause, she continued, “Then I got the job. And when I started doing it over there, I found it was my passion. I loved it. I loved being out and about. I loved being a positive role model for young children and, and, and, and, especially females and other ones wanting to get into law-enforcement, and then when they approached me to come to become one of their road officers, I was just flabbergasted!” Belcher said with a smile.
Pat Belcher went on to enter the police academy in her early 40′s. She became a sheriff’s deputy in 2000, going on to become one of the first three school resource officers in Tazewell County, and she launched the T.R.I.A.D. unit. It’s dedicated to investigating elder abuse in all forms, financial, physical, and even emotional abuse of the elderly population in her community.
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