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General News: Female Officer Joins Town Police

Officer Shannon Hansen
Officer Shannon Hansen
June 15, 2007

When Shannon Hansen starts her first solo patrol with the Town of Cornwall police department next week, she will be the first female police officer in the department since 2000. A total of five female officers have served before.

Officer Hansen doesn’t believe she is any different than the 17 male officers on the force. At the police academy, where she graduated in January 2006, she won the academy’s defensive tactics award, given to the person who is best at taking people down without a weapon, ground fighting and handcuffing techniques.

Her physical abilities were honed as an athlete in high school and college, where she played soccer, basketball, and softball. Officer Hansen grew up in Highland Falls, where she graduated from high school in 2001. After graduation, Hansen enrolled in Mount Saint Mary’s College, where she got a degree in human services with a concentration in criminal justice.

For Hansen, this assignment is a dream come true. “I wanted to do this my whole life,” Hansen says. “On one hand I wanted to help people and on the other hand I wanted to get the people who are breaking the law.”

During a college internship she spent 225 hours riding along with police officers in her home town and Highlands police chief John Whiffen later sponsored her to enter the police academy, although Hansen paid her own way.

Officer Hansen says she loves it up in Cornwall and admits she didn’t really know how big or busy the town is. “I am very happy and way beyond excited to be here,” Hansen says. “I look forward to spending my career here and getting more involved with the community.


Comments:

All you can comment on (complain about) is the year she graduated? Did you read the part where she graduated from the police academy in 2006? Seems to me she got right to work. She also has a good looking resume and if she lives at home, who cares? Have you tried living on one salary in this county?
If you resent being 'lectured' by someone younger, thinner, and less experienced (a big assumtion) than yourself, well, then don't give her a reason to stop you for a lecture.


posted by kate benson on 06/21/07 at 12:00 AM

First- Congratulation Officer Hansen! I'm sure your career in Cornwall will be a great experience in such a nice town. It is great to finally have a female on our force to help balance out our ever growing community. I'm certain you will come across many obstacles and meet some great and not so great people but there is no doubt in our minds that you will handle each challange in a professional and courteous manner. That is, even when dealing with those who talk out of their ---'s because they clearly don't know what their talking about. Many times in this world- when someone else achieves such great things, those who havent sometimes dont know how to handle it- so instead of a simple good luck or congrads, they bash people trying to knock them down. P.O. Hansen-if all these people can talk negatively about is your age and weight you know you're doing something right. Not to mention that they probably need to drop a few pounds themselves. Just keep doing what you're doing, because you're doing it very well- and if "MESIII" ever does give you a reason to pull them over ask "what is an appropriate age and weight for a P.O.?" Should we start hiring people out of retirement homes just so they can bring all of their life experiences with them yet they are to frail to protect the people and their families from harm? Maybe we should sacrifice a little "life" experience and give someone a chance to learn and grow? After all isn't that what life is really all about...


posted by jb165 on 07/03/07 at 12:00 AM

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