By Will Katcher
masslive.com
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper has been named the Woman Law Enforcement Executive of the Year, a prestigious recognition by a national association of senior women in policing.
Kasper, who has served with the Northampton Police Department since 1998, in April became the first Massachusetts police chief to sign the 30x30 pledge, a commitment by police departments across the United States to increase the number of women in the field, according to the 30x30 Initiative organization.
Kasper has also taken a number of steps toward progressive policing in the city. Her Drug Addiction Recovery Program, for instance, designates specially-trained officers to help people find treatment if they have recently “engaged in high risk behavior” as a result of addiction — from committing a crime to overdosing on a substance.
The award is given out annually by the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, which promotes the profession to women and mentors those already in the field.
[RELATED: How the 30x30 initiative aims to advance women in policing]
According to Northampton police, the award “recognizes an individual who has distinguished herself in their organization, her profession and her community. The recipient of this award epitomizes the values of NAWLEE and represents the best of who we are as women leaders.”
NAWLEE, in a message on Twitter, made specific reference to Kasper’s work with the 30x30 Initiative. The Northampton Police Department is one of 100-plus police departments across the United States, many of them among the country’s largest, working toward the goal of increasing women’s presence in law enforcement.
Since the department became the first in Massachusetts to sign onto the 30x30 pledge, it has since been joined by several others across the state, including the Massachusetts State Police.
“Generally, my experience in the field of policing has been very good. I’m honored to have the position I have now and to have risen through the ranks all these years,” Kasper said in June. “But I understand the feeling of being the only female in the room. It has happened to me many times in my career.”
While leading the Northampton police, Kasper has also had officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts, in order to identify impaired drivers, participated in the White House Police Data Initiative, a national data transparency project, and taken a number of steps to deepen the department’s ties to the community.
Past recipients of the NAWLEE award include Chief Gina Hawkins, of the Fayetteville Police Department in North Carolina, whose accomplishments included her response to domestic violence increases, and Chief Saundra Rhodes, of the Horry County Police Department in South Carolina, recognized in part for her efforts in community outreach.
In a tweet last week, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz congratulated Kasper on the award, calling it “a well-deserved recognition of our chief’s outstanding and innovative leadership.”
Kasper began her career in Northampton as a bike patrol officer in 1998. She worked as a detective for six years, later led the department’s detective bureau as its lieutenant and was eventually named captain of operations in 2014. She became the first female chief of police in the city’s history in 2015.
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