by Bruce Boyer

“Every time I clock in at work it is like I am going to visit my family.”  Those were the words of Stacy Bottoms, a 15 ½ year veteran of the Kernersville Police Department (KPD).  Stacy feels a special bond with fellow officers and a warm welcoming from the community.  She said she cannot count the times when she finishes a meal in a restaurant only to find that a citizen has already paid for it.  People often tell her, “I just want you to know I appreciate what you do.”  She feels cared about in Kernersville which motivates her to do her job well.

Stacy’s interest in becoming a police officer started with her grandfather, Bill Blakley, who was a police officer when the town had only five officers and one stoplight.  As a high school student Stacy worked at the Kerner House restaurant, often waiting on Detective Sandy McGee.  When Stacy Bottoms expressed interest in learning more about becoming a police officer, Sandy took her to the shooting range and referred her to the Law Enforcement training program.  Kerner House owner Phillip White allowed her flexibility in her restaurant schedule so she could attend the training program.  Police Chief Neal Stockton became a mentor and trainer for Stacy when she joined the department.  What impressed Stacy about Chief Stockton was that he really cared about his officers.  He knew the name, spouses name, and about the families of all the police officers.

That feeling of cohesiveness continues today.  Stacy enjoys the comradery and light-hearted joking in the department, but also how fellow officers use their unique skills to help each other.  Sometimes a suspect responds better to one officer than another, so whichever officer has the best chance of success takes the lead.

Stacy views her role as a police officer as a way to help people.  Not only does the KPD improve safety, but their interaction with the community builds positive relationships with the citizens.

Stacy indicated that the Kernersville Police Department is different than any other law enforcement department in the state.  To her knowledge, no other police department provides funeral escorts or unlocks cars for their citizens.  “We help people in their crisis situations, and often receive hugs of appreciation from those we help.”  Police officers coming to KPD from other cities are amazed at the respect officers feel from the community.

Stacy enjoys the involvement in the community.  Not only does the department safeguard community events such as Spring Folly, but they also provide fun activities at the festival to interact with the public.  Lt. Mike Brandon recently revived Police Explorer Post 914, which teaches youth aged 14-21 about law enforcement.  Stacy’s role has been to teach ethics and the mission component to the explorer post.  The department is also invested in the Special Olympics, conducting several fund raising events, including “Tip-a-Cop,” Donkey Ball, and a Spring Folly booth.  To Stacy, the community events continue Kernersville’s legacy as a close-knit, friendly community.  “The events bring the community together.”

She appreciates the level of respect police officers receive from the town, including the Mayor, Board of Aldermen, and all town departments, as well as businesses, community agencies, and citizens.  She also remarked that business owners such as Phillip White often provide free meals to officers on duty during a holiday weekend.  “This is a caring community.”

When asked for three words that describe Kernersville she said:  historical, beautiful, and quaint.  To her, what makes Kernersville special is the “Small town community feel, friendliness of the people, community functions that bring people together, the historical feel of the town, and that Kernersville has everything people need.”

She recently enjoyed a conversation with Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pinnix who told Stacy about when her grandmother would come into Pinnix Drug Store.  She likes to hear stories from older generations about life in Kernersville years ago.  Kernersville was a special place then, and still is today.

Although Stacy has a warm feeling for the community, she is also able to handle difficult situations.  She always treats others with respect but is able to respond more sternly when necessary.  She is a leader of the KPD Crisis Negotiation Team and represents her group of officers on the Improvement Team.

When Stacy Bottoms patrols zone 4, she is serving the community of her youth, following the footsteps of her grandfather, and working alongside fellow officers she considers as family.  It does not get any better than this.  “It is family.”