Perry County Sheriff’s Department celebrates female deputies

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) – The Perry County Sheriff’s Department has the most women deputies now than it has seen before in history.

The Perry County Sheriff’s Department is celebrating its female deputies.

Sheriff Jason Klaus says he’s proud of the number of women working within the department today and all that they do.

With two officers in the jail division, one detective, four deputies on road division, and all dispatchers being females.

Deputy Whitney Renaud is one of the first deputies to receive Perry County’s newly issued sheriffs’ vehicles, which she says she couldn’t be prouder of, along with working in the department.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Deputy Renaud. “It’s a pretty close-knit group. We all work together pretty well, and the guys respect us the same.”

Renaud says that when it comes to sex crimes or domestic violence issues, women have a tendency to feel more comfortable with women deputies.

“I feel like they open up a little bit more and somehow we can relate to them a little bit more.”

Deputy Sarah Wehmeyer feels more women should consider a career in criminal justice.

“I think that it’s something that should happen,” said Deputy Wehmeyer.”Men and women both have strengths and they both have weaknesses.”

In history, an officer or deputy position was looked at as a role for men, but as time has come to pass, history has never been proven more wrong.