Now in her 28th year of law enforcement, Michelle is honored to have served the citizens of Arlington Texas through both municipal policing with the Arlington Police Department and now campus policing at the University of Texas at Arlington Police Department.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Michelle earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology with the ultimate goal of becoming a Behavioral Analysis for the FBI. Wanting to gain experience in law enforcement, she began her career with the Arlington Police Department in 1992. Her time with Arlington PD evolved into a passion that would keep her in municipal policing until her retirement as a sergeant 23 years later in 2015.
While with Arlington PD, Michelle held numerous positions including patrol officer, detective, and sergeant as well as being the first female K-9 officer and tactical team sharpshooter. During her six-year stint as the sergeant overseeing the police academy she also served as the accreditation manager for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) resulting in APD’s first Training Academy Accreditation.
Michelle began her career at UTA in 2015 as an accreditation assistant with (CALEA) before being selected as a Detective where she is primarily responsible for investigating reports of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, stalking and any other incidents that meet the requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Michelle has served as the chair for the Arlington PD Physical Fitness Advisory Committee and in 2019 served on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) committee for curriculum development of the “Trauma-Informed Approach to Sexual Assault Investigations.” She also is a current member of the Tarrant County Sexual Assault Work Group, which is tasked with determining best practices and innovative ways to approaching adult sexual assault cases in the county.
Michelle’s professional certifications include Cooper Institute Law Enforcement Specialist, (TCOLE) Master Peace Officer, and Training Instructor certifications for Firearms, Gracie Survival Tactics, PPCT Defensive Tactics, and Rape Aggression Defense.
Michelle recognizes civil rights activist Dr. John M. Perkins, as one of her personal heroes and facilitated his appearance in Arlington in 2016 where he spoke during a forum on Race and Reconciliation, “The Transforming Power of Positive Police Community Relations through Reconciliation and Understanding.” Michelle continues her friendship with Dr. Perkins to this day and shares the ideals behind his life mission to “DO justice LOVE mercy WALK humbly.”
Michelle is a fitness enthusiast and also owns and operates a business training young athletes in sport-specific performance of strength & conditioning, speed and agility. She is also a UTA alumnae having earned her Master’s degree in Exercise Science in 2012 and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Michelle is married to an Arlington PD detective and enjoys working out, surfing, rock concerts and spending time with her 3-year-old granddaughter.
