Published: October 29, 2009 05:25 pm      

FEATURE: Happy to be here

Lafayette's first female deputy, Jacqueline 'Happy' Tysall, is right where she wants to be

Dressed in a bright pink sweater, a shiny new badge on her hip, Lafayette's first female sheriff's deputy brushes back her blond hair and says it was never her goal to become Lafayette's first female deputy. And as for how the road to law enforcement is different for a woman, she said, "I've never been a man, so I can't really compare it."

Jacqueline "Happy" Tysall, 26, said she did not know she was Lafayette's first female deputy until someone mentioned it to her. Her aim was simply to become a law enforcement officer, something she hopes to still be twenty years from now.

Originally from St. Petersburg, Tysall's family moved to Mayo when she was four years old. "

My parents said I was a real happy baby, always smiling. So they stared calling me 'Happy' and the name just stuck, I guess," Tysall said.

After graduating from Lafayette High in 2002, Tysall enlisted in the Army. In February 2003 she was deployed to Iraq.

"Iraq was an experience," she said with raised eyebrows above big, blue eyes. "It taught me to be appreciative. Being in another country where they don't have the freedoms we have taught me to be appreciative of even small things," she paused. "Like plumbing."

After returning home and graduating from both the police academy in Madison and Santa Fe Community College in 2004, Tysall worked for the Department of Agriculture and later for the DOA's special operations team until shortly after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration earlier this year from Barry University. In July, Tysall decided to apply for a job as a School Resource Officer with the Lafayette Sheriff's Department and was quickly hired, becoming Lafayette's first female deputy.

"Deputy Tysall's hiring and selection for SRO was based on a desire to serve the citizens of her community, motivation, as well as dedication to her career as a sworn law enforcement officer," said Lafayette Sheriff Brian Lamb. "She brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office and the position of School Resource Officer. Deputy Tysall's training and experience as a Military Police Officer and combat veteran has given her the skills, maturity, resolve, and fortitude that is essential to a law enforcement officer."

As a School Resource Officer, Tysall said she is in a position to have a positive influence over youth. "I have the opportunity to introduce youth to skills that will help them find a successful path in life," said Tysall.

It is the walls troubled teens build around themselves that Tysall tries to break down.

Through mentoring, Tysall said she is able to break those walls down and help teenagers reach their potential. For example, by speaking one on one to a bully or a habitual fighter and find out why they are having difficulty getting along with other students, she is able to get straight to the heart of the problem, said Tysall. "I can help prevent them from making bad decisions in life," she said.

"Since her hiring, Deputy Tysall has quickly become a valuable asset to the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office by demonstrating the level of professionalism required for her position and dedication to the care and safety of the children of our community," said Lamb.

Tysall wants to learn as much as she can and hopes for a long career in law enforcement. And as far as being the only female deputy with the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, she says, "I don't really notice it. It doesn't matter to me. I just feel like a deputy."