If you're interested in a career in law enforcement, a criminal justice degree is a great place to start. Learn more about Texas Wesleyan's criminal justice degree here.

Her first day on the job

A drug bust on her first solo patrol wasn’t what the rookie police officer expected when she was called to assist on a noise disturbance call. As she and the other officer prepared to leave, she spotted some teens behaving suspiciously.

Lockwood discovered one of them had an outstanding warrant, large amounts of Xanax, scales, plastic bags and a roll of cash, so she put him in cuffs. The big bust on Lockwood’s first day on the job was proudly shared on the department’s social media, where she was dubbed, “a new hero on the street.” Lockwood admits it was exciting and rewarding to have such first-day success, but she credits her skills to one Texas Wesleyan professor who told her to trust her intuition.

“Professor [Cary] Adkinson was always telling us to ‘trust our spidey sense,’” she recalls about the professor who uses comic books to teach criminal justice. “I remembered that from him and acted.”

Passion for being a part of the solution

Lockwood’s interest in law enforcement was sparked after the four-year soccer scholarship athlete sat in on a criminal justice class during freshman orientation. Her senior year, she landed an internship at the Southlake Police Department to fulfill her criminal justice major requirements. She entered their training academy after her spring 2017 graduation.

Lockwood had debated about entering the military, but after five Dallas officers were gunned down in 2016 she chose law enforcement.

“It makes me sad that many hate police officers,” she says. “That’s a big reason why I got into this field — I wanted to be a good heart in the field and show people I care about them.”

Lockwood says serving the public with respect is paramount.

“That’s my main motivator, to be part of the solution, so they walk away from my contact knowing they don’t have to be afraid of police officers.”

Ready to start your own journey into law enforcement? Texas Wesleyan's criminal justice program will give you the tools you need to be a successful officer in your community.