In honor of Women’s History Month, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office is celebrating the accomplishments of their female deputies, and Deputy Melanie Mangan is one such remarkable figure. As the School Resource Officer at Green Intermediate School, Mangan's duties extend beyond directing traffic to ensuring the security of the school premises and engaging with students and staff throughout the day.
Before her current role, Deputy Mangan had a diverse career in law enforcement. According to a Facebook post from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, she joined the ranks in 2014 after a stint with the Akron Children’s Hospital Police Department. Before that, she worked for nine years at the Summit County Jail. Her experience is vast, but possibly even more impressive is her 21-year tenure with the US Air Force, which included eight deployments around the globe.
Mangan’s commitment to service is matched by a personal life filled with diverse interests. She enjoys outdoor activities, photography, and sports, avidly supporting Cleveland teams, Notre Dame football, West Ham United, and the New York Rangers. In addition to her sporting loyalties, she holds actor Alan Alda in high regard, with whom she has had the pleasure of conversing monthly via Zoom since the age of 5.
As for advice to women contemplating a career like hers, Deputy Mangan says, “go for it all! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.” Her advocacy for continual learning is evident when she encourages newcomers to absorb everything from their roles, as it eventually becomes valuable. She emphasizes the importance of open-mindedness and empathy in law enforcement, stating, “Listen to people… like really listen and hear what they are saying. Never judge a book by its cover. And have empathy for all walks of life,” Mangan told Summit County Sheriff’s Office in their post.
