Sergeant Carla Carter wears many hats in her job at the Thurston County Sheriff’s department, not just the one that came with her uniform. In addition to being the department’s Public Information Officer, Carter is the supervisor in charge of the Sex Offender Registration team, Hostage team and Civil Events Response team.
It seems Carter just cannot say no to any new assignment that comes along. “I love to embrace every opportunity,” she shares. “Each thing that I take on gives me a broader perspective and helps me in my job.” Carter recognized that there was a desire in the community to support the K9 program, so she created the Thurston County Deputy Sheriff’s Foundation. The foundation was created in 2012 and now has its own social media page to keep supporters up-to-date on how their donations are being used. Carter does those updates as well, in addition to all the other social media on behalf of the department.
While the Deputy Sheriff’s Foundation was initially started to support the K9 program, Carter would like to see it expand to serve more of Thurston County’s constituents. “Ultimately, I see it working like the Olympia School District Education Foundation’s (OSDEF) Principal’s Checkbook Fund,” explains Carter. “Deputies would have access to immediate funds to help out people in the field as needed.” For example, if a deputy finds a family in distress, they could provide food and housing for a night while the proper social services are lined up. As teachers will sometimes spend their own money to help a student who does not have a coat or notebook, deputies often do the same when faced with a hungry child in a domestic abuse situation.
As Public Information Officer, Carter has increased the department’s followers from 2,500 to over 15,000. She recently was able to use social media to reassure parents of Pleasant Glade Elementary School students during an evacuation. Using social media as a tool in crisis communications is something that Carter has developed within the department and sees deputies utilizing even more in the future.
Carter is a dedicated sheriff and seems so naturally suited for the job that you would assume she had always dreamed of being in law enforcement. In fact, she was not sure what she wanted to do when she graduated from Western Washington University. She enrolled in the Police Corps and discovered that law enforcement really tapped into her skills. Carter has an instinctual desire to protect the vulnerable and not allow them to be manipulated.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Department was the ideal fit. “The policies of the department really resonated with me,” Carter shares. “The moral code those in the department live by allows us to really trust in each other.” Carter goes on to explain that while they do not always agree, they value each other’s diverse opinions. “We have a lot of good work to do and we are a family.”
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Department has given Carter new ways to pursue her other passion, supporting her community. Carter was integral in creating a program to partner with the Family Support Center. Easy access to law enforcement helps victims of domestic violence know that the resource is available if they want to pursue that option, so every Tuesday there is a sheriff available to clients at the Center.
As Carter explains, “It feels more right for me to do work in my community than not to; that is just who I am.” She has been a Big Sister within the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization to “Littles” who are now in their twenties and still stay in touch with Carter. She also volunteers with the Level Road Runners, an organization begun to help connect homeless people to health and exercise, which is another of her passions.. “I love to be a part of things that are effective and really create change,” explains Carter.
Carter is being honored by the Soroptimist International of Olympia at their annual South Sound Exceptional Woman awards banquet. The banquet honors women who help their organizations and make our community a better place.
Being an “Exceptional Woman” is a bit uncomfortable for Carter. She is honored to have been chosen, but it is clear that she prefers to have the attention focused on the work. As one of four women in a department of 100, she has worked hard to let her skill and integrity speak louder than her gender. “Early in my career I realized that there is a small percentage of people that will never believe that a woman belongs in law enforcement no matter what I do,” explains Carter. “If you focus on developing trust with your colleagues, being in the minority is easier to navigate.”
While Carter may be the public voice and face of the department, she is somewhat of a loner in her private life. Most of her time away from the Sheriff’s department is devoted to her young son and their activities. They have recently taken up rock climbing, and she spends over 80 hours a year volunteering in his classes at the Olympia Community School. Her son has never seen her in her uniform. Carter is very proud of her profession but likes to keep her work and private lives separate.
“I love to protect and serve in my role at the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, but at home I don’t need to always be in control,” she explains. Yoga and running eight miles each day help her mind and body process the sometimes difficult work she does every week.
“Law enforcement gets in your blood. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” says Carter. I cannot imagine anyone better suited to the job.
