Each month, Eagle Radio in Great Bend will recognize groups or individuals that make a big impact on our community. This Appreciation Month is highlighting the Great Bend Police Department.
By AMY RICKER
Great Bend Post
As a young child growing up in the Medicine Lodge area, Great Bend Police Department Detective Heather McLemore has known she wanted to work in law enforcement since the third grade. After graduating from Medicine Lodge High School, McLemore attended Hutchinson Community College and then jumped into the job force in Atcheson County.
“I eventually moved to the Great Bend area and finished out my degree in Criminal Justice at Barton Community College,” said McLemore.
After joining the Great Bend Police Department, McLemore started working with cases that involved crime against children.
“I’ve always had a passion for it. It intrigues me. To me, children and the elderly really need someone to stand up and have a voice for them,” explained McLemore.
Working with children isn’t always easy, and when it comes to offenses that have been committed against these vulnerable victims, it can be demanding, arduous and emotionally draining. McLemore says separating the job from the natural human emotions has to be done even in the simplest of cases, but it never really leaves your mind.
“You’re always going to think about it, but you have to remember that it is a job. You have a family at home to take care of. I go home and hug my son super tight if I have an awful day or case of a child abuse or even worse. I call family, talk to them and just love them,” said McLemore.
McLemore relies on the Family Crisis Center to interact with the children as much as possible when it comes to communicating with them. She is often on the backside of cases, and children don’t even see her until the day of court due to the stigma that some people have regarding law enforcement. Her goal is for the child to be able to speak freely about what happened without any fear or pressure.
With all of that, what is the most challenging part of McLemore’s job?
“I can’t fix it all. We try really hard to do what we can, but a lot of it is letting the community know that these things happen and it’s okay to talk about it. Things have changed a lot in the years ever since I was a kid when certain things were just not talked about,” explained McLemore. “It was kept a secret. People need to understand that it’s okay not to keep certain things a secret and to seek help.”
When it comes to crime and the rise and fall of certain types, she says there hasn’t been a massive spike in anything particular. However, as access to the internet is readily given to young children, there have been fluctuating crimes relating to social media. During the pandemic, when children were stuck at home for extended periods, perpetrators used the internet to access children and attempt to entice them to engage in illegal activities.
On the flipside, McLemore says the internet has made it easier to catch criminals in many ways.
“I honestly don’t know how they did some of the cases back in the day before the internet. I can click the mouse a couple of times and have access to all the information I want. That would have taken weeks back in those days without the internet.”
Like many careers, what does McLemore have a lot of when she’s on the clock?
“Paperwork. There is so much paperwork and documentation. Some of my days are spent doing 99% paperwork,” chuckled McLemore.
What are McLemore’s career goals?
“To keep kids safe and give them a voice.”