Tracy started her career as a Public Safety Dispatcher with the Ontario Police Department in 2015. In 2016, she lateraled to the West Covina Police Department. As a Dispatcher, she sat on the Chief’s Advisory Panel as well as the City Employee labor negotiations board. Soon after, Tracy was promoted to the rank of Senior Public Safety Dispatcher and became a Communications Training Officer. During this time, Tracy also became a Tactical Dispatcher and worked with the department SWAT team. During her time as a Communications Training Officer, Tracy updated the decades old training manual that is used to train newly hired dispatchers which increased the departments trainee pass rate.
Tracy was then promoted to the rank of Dispatch Supervisor. As a Dispatch Supervisor, she was responsible for maintaining all POST records and compliance for the division and oversaw the dispatch training program. She worked closely with the CTO’s to ensure that they were obtaining the training they needed to ensure a successful outcome. During this time, she also oversaw the training and recruitment efforts for the Communications Division and worked closely with other members of the department to enhance the dispatch presence within the community. In 2024, Tracy began working with the La Verne Police Department as a part time dispatcher as she seeks to transition into a different role within law enforcement.
During her career, Tracy has been the recipient of a department Life Saving Award as well as several meritorious citations. Tracy held a member at large position on the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement of Los Angeles County (WLLE-LAC) and had a passion for developing and delivering training to fellow law enforcement leaders within the county.
Tracy has an associate’s degree in Administration of Justice from Mt. San Antonio College, a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University, and completed her master’s degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego.
What motivated you to be a LEPSL ambassador?
Prior to applying to the LEPSL program, I was concerned about being able to ‘hold my own’ throughout the program since I was coming in as a non-sworn student. However, I quickly realized that I was right where I needed to be. Professional Staff are underrepresented within the program and I would love to be able to mentor others to take the leap into pursuing their master’s degree.
Why did you choose the LEPSL program? What made LEPSL stand out in comparison to other schools/programs?
I graduated with my bachelor’s in 2019 from Arizona State University and started shopping for a Master’s program shortly after. What sold me on the LEPSL program is how specific this program is to our line of work. Anyone who has worked in or overseen the Communications Division within their respective agency can understand that leadership can be lacking, and this program was exactly what I was looking for to develop and enhance my leadership skills.
What were your concerns about starting a graduate program?
My primary concern about starting the program was being able to balance the coursework with my professional and personal responsibilities.
How did the LEPSL program help you achieve your career goals?
As I venture further into the administrative and management part of my career, I am looking forward to applying what I have learned throughout the LEPSL program to enhance my leadership skills and be the change in leadership that my division needs.
What advice would you share with prospective LEPSL applicants?
You will not regret the decision to invest in yourself, your education, and your career as this program will develop you both personally and professionally.
What was your favorite part of the LEPSL program?
My favorite part of the program was the discussion boards as that is where the classmate interaction and conversations about our weekly topic occurred. It was fascinating to me to learn how other agencies handle various topics.
What were you balancing while participating in the LEPSL program?
During my time in the LEPSL program, I balanced my career which included working through a staffing shortage crisis, my collateral duties, my husband’s demanding law enforcement career plus an abundance of overtime within his department, as well as being mom to two very busy teenagers with demanding school and sports schedules.
LEPSL Graduating Class:
2024