Hot Springs Police Chief Jason Stachey swore in three new officers to the department Friday during a formal badge pinning ceremony, including Shawn Woodall, Tyree Sampson and Taylor Gates, who graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Academy on Dec. 16.
A 2011 graduate of Lake Hamilton High School, Woodall grew up in Hot Springs where his father, Jeff, works for the Hot Springs Fleet Services and his mother, Deborah, works at First Baptist Church of Royal, Stachey said.
Woodall joined the Arkansas Army National Guard 216th Military Police Company in 2011 and currently holds the rank of sergeant. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 in support of detainee operations, which was vital to national security, Stachey said, while thanking him for his service.
"Shawn wanted to become a police officer because he believes in giving back to his community and helping the people of Hot Springs. Shawn is proud to be the first police officer in his family," he said.
Woodall, assigned Badge 180, is currently assigned to Field Training Officer Cpl. John Tinney.
A native of Newark, N.J., Sampson spent most of his life in Hot Springs where his mother, Dawn Utsey, works for the Hot Springs School District as a nurse, and his father, Anthony Utsey, works for the city as a building inspector.
Sampson graduated from Hot Springs High School in 2011 and earned an associate degree in liberal arts from National Park College in 2013. He started in the Garland County Sheriff's cadet program at age 14 and "was able to experience the many operations associated with law enforcement, which undoubtedly had a significant impact on his choice of profession," Stachey said.
In March 2016, Sampson was hired as a police service assistant at the HSPD and continued in that position until he was hired in August 2016 as a police officer. "Just like many of us standing in this room, Tyree joined the police department to serve and give back to the community," Stachey said.
Sampson, assigned Badge 144, is currently assigned to Field Training Officer Phillip DeFoor.
A native of Hot Springs, Taylor Gates is the son of Taylor Franklin Gates and Mary Gates and graduated from Bismarck High School in 2007. He is currently attending National Park College pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
In 2012, Gates married Whitney Heird and they have two daughters, Monica, 4, and Josie, 2.
In 2013, Gates began serving the citizens of Hot Springs as a telecommunications operator, Stachey said, but he "felt called to serve in a law enforcement capacity and in August 2016 he was hired as a police officer."
Taylor, assigned Badge 117, is currently assigned to Field Training Officer Shawn Lowrey working in special operations during this phase of his training.
Local on 01/23/2017