MARISSA COMBS
NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL
David McDonald
West Lauderdale High School
Marissa is a 2007 graduate of Purdue University with a double
major Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English, who was
hired at Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department in 2008. In
March 2014, she was awarded Deputy of the Year for the 2013 Fiscal year. She has been with the department for 5 years in multiple
different roles.
I have been with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department
for 15 years and a School Resource Officer for 7 years. I love
being with the students everyday and trying to help them any
way I can. I find it very rewarding when a student comes to
me with questions whether I can answer them or not. If I am
unable to answer their questions I’ll do my best to help find
the answer. The students are our future and I feel it is my
place to invest in them for our future.
Marissa began her career on Patrol, specifically the night
shift, and stayed on Patrol until 2011 when she became a School
Resource Officer for Northeast High School. In addition to becoming a School Resource Officer, she also completed D.A.R.E. Officer
training and began teaching at Northeast Middle School. During
that time, she became very involved in the Sheriff’s Dept. Explorer
Post. She created and maintained a Facebook page for the Post and
subsequently took over maintenance of the Sheriff’s Dept.’s Facebook page. She also became a TASER Instructor as well.
Jason Wiggins
Northeast High School
In 2013, Marissa became the full-time D.A.R.E. Officer. In her
new capacity, she helped Deputy Robby McClure teach at College
For Kids (for two summers now!), gave a lecture at MCC for the
Juvenile Justice class, and participated at various community
events with her large, furry friend, Daren the DARE Lion or with
the Explorer Post. She became an Associate Advisor to the Explorer Post during 2013, helping to create a minimum standards
curriculum and editing their Standard Operating Procedures. She
also created an Instagram page for the Explorer Post and the Sheriff’s Dept., and continues to maintain both of them. She created a
Twitter account for the Explorer Post that she maintains as well.
Also in 2013, we had 3 deputies who were diagnosed with cancer,
and Marissa, along with our head Administrative Assistant Kathy
McDonald, brought back the Lauderdale County Cancer Cuffers
Relay For Life Team. Also, Marissa has taken over the Special
Olympics Torch Run, with the help of Deputy Kara Clark, as part of
her D.A.R.E. Officer duties.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart Stacey! I have two
wonderful kids. I’m working on my 12th year as a full time
Law Enforcement Officer. I worked six years with the Meridian police department as a senior patrolman; four of those six
years I worked on the K9 unit. I’m also a handgun and shotgun instructor with NRA. I’m a field training officer level 1
and 2. This is my second year as a School Resource Officer at
Northeast High School.
On top of these duties, she also finds time for a few hobbies. Marissa is also an avid believer in being fit for duty, fit for life. She is a
passionate runner, who has completed her first marathon in November 2013 and completed, more recently, the Race For the
Fallen half marathon, to benefit the Police Benevolent Association
in March 2014.
Jared Woodall
West Lauderdale Elementary
I began my law enforcement career in 2002. Since then I
have worked at various different departments in a variety of
different positions. I have worked on college campuses, city
police depts., county sheriff’s depts., as well as a state probation office. In 2007, I got out of law enforcement and earned
an associates degree. Several years passed and in 2012, I got
back in to law enforcement… Many believe it is a calling.
In 2013, I was offered an SRO position by the Lauderdale
County Sheriff’s Dept. and accepted the position. As an SRO,
I have discovered a completely different skill set. Law Enforcement Officers have often been compared to sheep dogs
watching over sheep protecting them from the wolves. On
one hand, I have to stay focused on protecting children like
the sheep dog. On the other hand, I have to reach out to them
with compassion much like the shepherd. It has been a
unique and interesting experience for me and I have enjoyed
every minute of it.
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