Zephyrhills Police Department has a new officer. Sierra Mathis was sworn in as a Zephyrhills police officer by Chief Derek Brewer at a city council meeting on Monday.
The department announced the swearing-in in a Zephyrhills Police Department Facebook post. The post says officers welcomed Mathis to the force.
Before pinning on a Zephyrhills badge, Mathis served in the U.S. Army Reserve, according to the department's Facebook announcement.
A Milestone the Department Is Highlighting
Mathis's swearing-in took place at a city council meeting, a public setting rather than a private ceremony.
Chief Brewer administered the oath at Monday's city council meeting.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Florida Law Enforcement
Zephyrhills is not the only Florida community to spotlight a first for Black women in policing in recent years. In Ocala, a 2021 report from ClickOrlando covered that city's first Black female police officer, while the University of Miami highlighted its own milestone the same year when a woman became the first Black lieutenant with the university's police department, according to University of Miami News.
The article also discusses the broader history of American law enforcement.
For now, the specifics of Mathis's path to the badge, including how long she served in the Army Reserve, have not been detailed beyond what Zephyrhills Police Department shared in its announcement. What the department has made clear is that Mathis was sworn in at Monday's meeting.
