Cara Jacobs, 40 under 40

Cara Jacobs

Sergeant, Roanoke County Police Department, Virginia

Sergeant Cara Jacobs is a take-charge, motivated leader who has worked hard to make her community safe for those she serves. In her career with the Roanoke County, Virginia, Police Department, she has held a variety of positions and has excelled in each.   

When the Commonwealth of Virginia decided to restart the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP) after a 20-year hiatus, Sergeant Jacobs was selected to be a part of a core group of officers to participate in the program. She was one of the first nine officers in Virginia to become a certified drug recognition expert (DRE). Sergeant Jacobs is a strong advocate for the program and works with a small cross-sectional group to implement procedures for Virginia’s DECP and serves on an IACP work group that develops DRE model policy. She also serves as a regional coordinator in Virginia for administering the DECP, in this role she works to provide quality assurance and oversight of those programs and regularly provides training to prosecutors and judges about drugged driving and the DECP/DREs.  

Sergeant Jacobs is currently the only female supervisor in her agency, and she understands her responsibility as a leader and mentor to the future generations of women leaders in policing. She has worked to implement a networking program for women within her department that provides support and mentorship. She also successfully advocates for officers to attend leadership and other skill-based training tailored to their needs and the unique challenges they face as women in law enforcement. Through her initiative, Sergeant Jacobs has developed contacts across various disciplines, both locally and across the United States, to assist these future leaders in their careers. 

 

“I was drawn to the idea of going home every night feeling like I contributed to my community, and society as a whole, in some constructive and positive way.” 

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