8/7/2019 e Bella magazine August 2010 Beth Richards

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44 Bella - August 2010

n the most important day of her career, BethRichards was having a rough morning. She

burned her dress pants while ironing. In despera-tion, she tried coloring the large spot with a marker

and even considered spray paint. Instead, she pulledan old pair covered in hair (from one of her eight cats)from her closet and went at them with a lint brush.

Beth Richards is nothing, if not resourceful.When I meet her, however, she never lets on how di-

sastrous her morning had started. Instead, she acknowl-edges the crowd of family, friends and fellow depu-ties whove gathered to watch Sheriff Kevin Ramboskpromote her to Captain the rst woman in thedepartment to hold the third-highest rank in the department.

Even the sheriff alludes to

Richards history-making mo-ment, calling her aqualied andmotivated policewoman.

But beyond everything else, youre a law enforcementofcer, Rambosk states.

After her husband, Kevin, a fellow deputy, pins a newbadge onto her uniform, the newly promoted CaptainRichards nally smiles.

Hopefully, I wont let the women down, she says.The people who know her best say theres no chance

of that happening.In 2010, Richards has broken the glass ceiling of law

enforcement in Collier County, and shes both excitedand nervous.

I always wanted to be the rst woman (to beCaptain), she tells me. I thought it would be neat tohave left my mark.

Its an accomplishment not lost on fellow femaledeputies like Bobbi Jo Edwards, who considers Richardsboth her best friend and mentor.

Its great, exclaims Edwards of the promotion,adding that it gives other women in the departmentsomething to strive for.

On Richards desk sits the trophy Edwards and fellowcolleagues in the Professional Standards division, whichRichards headed up until her promotion, gave her. Itreads, You broke the glass.

Nationally, law enforcement is comprised of approxi-mately 15 percent women, and its estimated that onlyabout 10 percent of females earn a rank of lieutenantor higher.

When I started, there was one female lieutenant,Richards, a 23-year-veteran, tells me after the ceremony.

Unlikely Officer

Working for the Sheriffs Ofce is

practically the only job Richardshas ever had except for a briefstint on-air at Cat Country Radio

and working in her dads Immokalee pharmacy. In fact,she never had any aspirations of a law enforcement career.She just needed a job. Her grandfather had been a jailer,her dad a pharmacist was an auxiliary ofcer, andhis best friend was a deputy who worked at the ImmokaleeSubstation. That friend came to Richards one day and toldher he had a job for her as a corrections ofcer. That wasin 1987. With the $13,000-a-year salary shed be making,Richards knew it was enough to make her car payment andsaid yes, eventually being certied as both a corrections andlaw enforcement ofcer.

Although growing up in Immokalee where Richardswas a tomboy who loved riding horses, she was anunlikely ofcer. In fact, she admits to being a bit of ahellion, a wild teenager with a fake I.D. who liked todrink and party with her friends, although using drugswas out of the question.

After more than 20 years on the job, Beth Richardspromotion to Captain makes her the highest rankingfemale Deputy in the Collier County Sheriffs Ofce. By Candace Rotolo

Credit:LaneWilkinson,www.wlwphotography.com

Hopefully, I wont let

the women down.

8/7/2019 e Bella magazine August 2010 Beth Richards

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46 Bella - August 2010

My parents wanted tomake sure I didnt go to jail,so they moved me fromImmokalee High Schoolto LaBelle High School. fora few years, Richards sayswith a slight laugh. Shereturned to ImmokaleeHigh to graduate, and by 18had gotten the partyingout of her system, thanks,in part, to meeting her

soon-to-be husband, Kevin,nine years her senior. Thecouple met at a Chamberof Commerce dance, wherehe and fellow SWAT mem-bers were demonstratingtheir skills. A romanceensued, and Richards gavebirth to daughter, Amber, now 20.Fourteen months after their babysbirth, the couple married.

SUppOrt SyStem

While many corrections ofcers arewomen (there are regulations aboutthe number of female ofcers neededto secure female inmates), not all ofthem attend the police academy tobecome certied law enforcementofcers like Richards did.

When Richards started at the jail,she worked the overnight shift for veyears, getting promoted to supervisorin 1990. Husband, Kevin, also workeda variety of shifts. With an infantdaughter, the couple relied on thehelp of family and friends to babysit.

Its a very tough environment forwomen especially women with fami-lies, Richards says of law enforcement,noting that women in the professionhave to overcome not only professionalobstacles, but personal ones as well.

If it werent for my family, I wouldhave had to quit or nd another lineof work.

A small village of friends and fam-ily helped the Richards raise their

daughter, rst by letting the littlegirl stay overnight with them whilethe couple worked, and later on bypicking her up from school and takingher to activities.

As the years went by, Richardsrealized that the job she took justto make a car payment could be-come her career, and she utilized thedepartments educational plan to attend

college, rst at Edison State, whereshe earned an Associates degree in

criminal justice; thena Bachelors in busi-ness managementand a Masters incriminal justice ad-ministration fromHodges University.

It was very easy tospot her talent, saysChief Greg Smith,one of her rst bosses.We just supported

her and let her grow.

making rank

By 1996, Richards wasa sergeant assignedto the Training Divi-sion, overseeing newdeputies. It was an

unusual step to transfer over to thelaw enforcement side of the profession,especially since Richards has neverbeen assigned to street patrol.

Taking an untraditional path didntstop her from climbing the ladder.In 2000, Richards was appointed lieu-tenant and served as the departmentsstaff inspector, a sometimes contro-versial position where her job was tomake sure fellow deputies and depart-ments were in compliance.

I learned a lot, especially how totalk with people, Richards says of hertime on the job.

An appointment to commander fol-lowed, along with assignments oversee-ing the professional responsibility, train-ing division and professional standards.

With each promotion, Richards saysher husband has been her biggestcheerleader and supporter. She oftentakes new ideas to Kevin. If he hates it,I know thats how it might be received

on the front line.After 25 years together, the couple haslearned that at home, they sometimeshave to agree to disagree. The secret isnot letting him know Im in control,Richards jokes. In their off-hours, theyenjoy playing with their eight cats, twodogs and two horses, including Cow-boy, a miniature quarter horse and theSheriffs Ofce mascot.

An avid horse rider since she was akid, Richards brings Cowboy to 4-Hfairs and elementary schools to teachhorse safety and promote the SheriffsMounted Patrol, a part-time divisionRichards started in 2000, after manyother attempts had been made. Shewryly explains that a fellow deputy a man told her the patrol couldntbe done, since many other good menhad tried. Today, the division hasseven deputies who provide crowdcontrol at large events and patrol dur-ing holidays and the county fair. Eachmember owns his or her own horse,which the sheriff leases for just $10a year.

allinthe family

With two law enforcement ofcersas parents, and her brother, whos aSheriffs detective, Richards jokesthat there isnt much their daughter,Amber, can do without their know-ledge. Were probably a little over-protective, she says of raising the20-year-old. Its a little intimidatingfor boyfriends.

(back row from left) Step-son,Kevin; Richards husband, Kevin;

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk; and daughter,Amber, pose for a picture after her

promotion ceremony in June.

Amber, whos sitting at her mothersdesk, nods in agreement.

In her new position, Richards over-sees as many as 1,000 inmates in thetwo county jails, as well as the BailiffBureau in all, about 400 person-nel. Despite the promotion, she admitsshe had to think about taking the job,wondering whether she was ready forit. In the end, she realized shed becoming back to the department whereshe started her career a good way

to retire should she choose to do thatin ve years.Shes direct and pragmatic, but com-

passionate and courteous with staff, Sheriff Rambosk says of Richards.She makes things happen for her team.

For haging aworkerable forAnd sh

She kher fem

Theup to mthem,me and

The

could ambitioI n

job, rs

Daughter, Amber, gets a hug from Richards after graduating from high school.

Capt. Richards brings herminiature horse, Cowboy,to schools and 4-H clubs.