The Roanoker March/April 2017 - 30

Ava Rosa DeVries

In a male-dominated field, Chaddic started the police academy in June 2014, graduating in December
of the same year. Now with a little over two years of
field experience, Chaddic loves her role.
"It's a difficult time for law enforcement, but our
department tries so hard to better relationships with
the community because it's important to us," she says.
"We know citizens won't always agree, but we always
have the community's best interests at heart."
As a police officer, Chaddic has to be in good
health. As a female police officer, Chaddic is that
much more determined to stay in tip-top shape. On
her days off, she's at the gym or running on the greenway. When officers occasionally go on calls alone, she
knows she has to be prepared to handle any situation.
"I do get nervous on calls," she admits. "You have
30 | MARCH/APRIL 2017

those moments where you realize things can go bad
pretty quickly, especially on domestic calls which are
statistically the most dangerous for officers. You just
have to push through the fear and nerves; that's what
you do in this job."
As a woman in the field, she definitely has to be
assertive, which struck her as a challenge in the beginning. As a self-described "nice person," yelling was
not something she did, nor is it something she does
often now. But sometimes there comes a point where
yelling might be the only thing that works.
What might be most frustrating is the catcalls
while in uniform. She's had passersby ask why she's a
police officer instead of America's "Next Top Model,"
for example, or others who tell her she's too pretty to
be a police officer.
"It doesn't really faze me too much. I keep it in the
back of my mind that I can handle business if I need
to!" Chaddic says, laughing.
Chaddic has volunteered for the Boys and Girls
Club in college, which instilled purpose for helping
children. Today, she's a Big Sister in the "Big in Blue"
community-based program, with a 12-year-old "little
sister" who just moved to Roanoke a few months ago.
Chaddic is already incredibly proud of her, wanting
to be a positive role model in the girl's life.
"It's a lot of fun and I have the time to donate, so
it was important to me," Chaddic says. "Your role
isn't to be a counselor, but to be a friend and help
shape them as a person. My little is the only female
on her wrestling team and it's incredible. She already
has so much confidence, and it just makes you want
to better yourself."
Chaddic stresses the importance of being a positive
influence for younger girls. As a female police officer,
she gets to show them that women can be in places
of authority, as well as make an impact on their community. That goes for women considering becoming
police officers themselves, too.
"I would say if you truly have the heart to be a
police officer, don't let being a woman or being out
of shape stop you," she says. "You can't let it. All the
department wants is to see that you will be persistent
and determined, and won't quit."

AVA ROSA DeVries

Kid Journalist
11 years old

Ava Rosa DeVries is our youngest female in the group,
and a name you might want to write down so you
can say you "knew her when." She's not only a fifthgrader at Cave Spring Elementary (and already receiving middle school coursework for her middle school
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The Roanoker March/April 2017

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