Ashley Thurman
Officer loves challenge of the job
Ashley Thurman said she has always wanted to police officer, but she put her dream on hold for a time. Prior to becoming a police officer, Thurman was working in retail as a manager.
After moving back home to be closer to her mom, Thurman decided to take a chance, and she has been an officer with the Malvern Police Department for about a year.
Thurman grew up in Bismarck and Malvern was always a second home, she said.
Along with wanting to help people and try to make a difference in her community, Thurman said she enjoys the challenge of being a police officer.
Along with the difficulty of completing the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, she said her job is both physically and mentally challenging.
She mentioned that as a police officer, she deals with things that most people never think of, especially the affects of drugs on a person.
She did not have prior experience with drugs in her life, so she was surprised to see what they cause people to do.
“It’s really shocking,” she said.
Thurman said she has always been tomboy, so it does not bother her to be the only female officer at the Malvern Police Department.
According to a report that was issued by the National Institute of Justice in 2019, “women constitute less than 13 percent of total officers and a much smaller proportion of leadership posi
tions.”
No one expects when you call the police that a female officer will show up, she said.
At times, while in the field she deals with people who do not take her seriously. She has even responded to calls where people did not want to talk to her until her male partner arrives.
The officers at the Malvern Police Department treat her the same as her male counterparts.
Thurman said, that there is family dynamic at the department. This came to light for her when she was recently injured. While off-duty, Thurman said she broke her foot which required surgery.
Because she is still new to the department, she did not have much vacation and sick time saved up and she was about three weeks short of the time that she needed. She was surprised when she received a call from a supervisor to tell her that all of the other officers had donated time so she could continue recovering at home.
“We really love each other and take care of each other,” she said.
Thurman said she has and her partner have lots of dogs. She also is extremely close to her mom.
In her free time, Thurman said she enjoys riding motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. She also raced dirt bikes at one time.
Thurman a passion for rebuilding classic cars especially 1960s Ford Mustangs. She has rebuilt three cars and is currently working on her fourth, she said.