Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Officer, trendsetter, role model
Fields, colleagues look back on her career in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE — As 2023 wound down, the city watched its first female deputy chief of police, Jamie Fields of Prairie Grove, work her last day after four years and two months in the position.
Fields retired Dec. 22 after serving the city for 33 years, most of that as a police officer and administrator.
A 1985 graduate of Springdale High School, the 56-year-old Fields has spent most of her adult life living in Prairie Grove surrounded by her extended clan: children, grandchildren, father, aunts and uncles.
Her working career with the city of Fayetteville began as a civilian dispatcher for Fayetteville police and fire departments on Sept. 11, 1990. In between those years, she gave college a try for a year at the University of Arkansas but discovered it wasn’t a good fit at the time. She married, had her son David Taylor and divorced.
Her dispatch work gave her an inside look at the Police Department and led to her interest in becoming a police officer.
WANTED TO HELP OTHERS
Fields said she knew from a young age she wanted to do something that would allow her to help others. She said the upbringing she got from her father, stepfather and maternal grandmother gave her confidence to follow her instincts.
After nearly four years in dispatch, she applied to be a police officer not only because of her interest in the work but also because she wanted a job that would provide a better living for her and her 4-year-old son. Her application was accepted in July 1994, and she attended the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden, commonly known simply as the police academy.
During her nearly 30 years on the force, Fields advanced steadily up the ladder in officer rank, administrative responsibility and educational achievement, according to a Dec. 26 article by Ron Wood in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Fields said she could have applied for police positions in other municipalities, but she didn’t want to leave Fayetteville.
“When I became a police officer at Fayetteville, I felt like I had found my home,” Fields said. “It was an organization where women made the same money as men and I felt I could support my son. There was room for growth and advancement. I absolutely fell in love with the job. I loved my job and loved it until the day I retired.”
While being a police officer can be hard on the body and mind, Fields said women can be in law enforcement and make a difference in their communities.
“It is a great job for women,” Fields added.
She said the support she got in the Fayetteville Police Department to continue her education led to her eventually earning her associate of applied science degree in criminal justice from Northwest Arkansas Community College, a bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Arkansas, and a master of arts degree in operations management from the UA.
Due to work and then the covid-19 shutdown, Fields took her master’s degree classes online. She chose operations management in a business-focused degree offered through the UA School of Engineering.
Over the years, Fields has attended a number of professional development conferences, workshops, courses and training sessions, including the FBI National Academy, the Criminal Justice Institute’s School of Law Enforcement Supervision, the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Women’s Leadership Institute.
“I think it’s really important to learn and grow and educate myself, both for my work and myself,” she said, adding she has always been driven to be prepared and wanted to be able to apply what she learned to her work.
A TRENDSETTER FOR WOMEN OFFICERS
Tonyia Tannehill, a Fayetteville police civilian employee who works as assistant support services manager, credits Fields with helping her become a better supervisor. Long-time friends, Tannehill said Fields recruited her to the department.
Fields took time to show her, by words and example, how to work with others in positive ways, Tannehill said.
“I think she’s one of the best people in the world. I miss her terribly,” Tannehill said.
Others in the department describe her as a trendsetter.
Lt. Tim Franklin, detective and head of the Police Department’s criminal investigation division, said he and Fields worked together her whole career, specifically as detectives in the 1990s. He said she was a trendsetter who broke ground for more women to join the force and “paved the way” for others.
Lt. Michele Miller has been with Fayetteville since 1999 and was one of the few female police officers with Fields back in those days. Miller, who now works in the community-oriented policing division, said Fields always treated her like an equal. She said Fields encouraged women police officers and helped them find ways of developing longevity on the force.
According to Miller, Fields is the first woman to reach full retirement and officially retire from Fayetteville Police Department. Many men and women leave the force before they reach retirement eligibility, 28 years of service, because the job is hard, Miller said.
Tannehill said Fields’ door was always open, that she served as a mentor to many people, especially women, and she wasn’t afraid to show compassion and care. In fact, she said Fields knew people’s names and often took food and wrote notes to those who’d suffered setbacks.
PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
Fields said her proudest accomplishment was being part of the six-person committee to get a new police station built, the one located at 1800 N. Stephen Carr Memorial Blvd. in northwest Fayetteville.
Carr was killed Dec. 7, 2019, in an unprovoked attack while sitting in a police car in the parking lot behind the old police station at the corner of Rock Street and Block Avenue.
Fields said having a building that was custom built to meet specific needs provides a better, safer work environment than structures that are already built but modified to try to meet those needs.
The new police facility, which is open for tours upon appointment, offers more light, bigger offices and meeting spaces, community spaces, a full gym and an indoor shooting range. It also offers 16 lockers for women officers, up from 10 in the previous facility.
Fields said it was a huge challenge getting the facility built, especially after covid-19 struck and supply chains were disrupted. It took five years to complete and opened May 1.
READY FOR LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT
In September 2023, Fields married retired Albany, N.Y., Assistant Police Chief William Phillip Georges. The two met by chance in 2019 in Chicago. Two weeks later, she visited him in Albany, and over time, they found they had something that worked.
Fields said Georges, who she calls Bill, is “full of life, has high energy and a great sense of humor, and is highly intelligent.”
She said, “It takes a strong man to love and support a strong woman, especially in this career field.”
The couple lives in Prairie Grove where Fields is close to her three grandchildren, who are 2, 4 and 8 years old. She said one reason for retirement is having time to spend with the grandchildren.
Fields said Fayetteville has a “deep bench” of qualified, good police officers. She said “an organization needs internal movement,” and that without it, growth is limited.
“It was a good time to explore life beyond FPD,” she said.