Recently, Chief Jeri Williams (Ret.) and University of Wyoming PD officer Trent Sewell (Ret.) joined Richard Coleman, President of Axon Federal, for a fireside chat on their careers and their experiences being Black in law enforcement. The chat was a chance for Axon employees to get a glimpse into the experience of the public safety partners we serve, and added to an ongoing conversation on how we can best support our communities of color both internally and externally.

“Ironically enough, I joined law enforcement because originally I didn’t like cops,” began Sewell. “I figured, you know, if someone’s going to say ‘X, Y and Z’ what are (sic) good and bad about law enforcement...I’m going to be able to be a person who provides good and provides value to their community.”

“My mom had a rule in the house that you either go to school or you work,” recalled Williams. She had just graduated from school, so she realized she had to “figure out something real fast.”

At the time Williams was graduating, Phoenix Police Department was looking for women and people of color to join their department. “They didn’t have enough [women and people of color] and they knew it...I decided I wanted to be a cop.”

When Sewell decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, “a few of my relationships with my family definitely turned into a ‘Hey, happy birthday. Merry Christmas.’ That’s it...There was that challenge at home.” Sewell shared that he also lost many friends over his choice of career. Williams also initially struggled for acceptance from her family members on her choice of career path. And the challenges of being a person of color entering the policing profession did not start and end at home.

“My first FTO (Field Training Officer) said to me ‘You’re gonna have problems here because you’re Black and female,’” she recalled. Williams shared that this statement didn’t deter her: “Don’t try to be one of the guys cause they’re never gonna accept you for one of the guys. Just be you.”

This approach propelled her to great achievements. Williams was the first female police chief in both the city of Oxnard and Phoenix.

“Being the first in anything brings a different set of responsibility,” admitted Williams. “I don’t want to be the only female, I want there to be other females that have the opportunity, as well as people of color.” A key to Williams’ leadership style? Consistency in how she treated her reports. “As a boss, I don’t believe you can treat everyone the same way cause (sic) there are different motivators, but you do need to be consistent.”

Sewell believes this idea of consistency also translates into the field. “The thing [...] is how do you treat people, how do you navigate conversations.” Sewell shared that he was able to find a mentor who helped him navigate community interactions. He also took time to watch those around him and learn how to best interact with community members to make a difference. In the end, he shared, it’s about finding a way to connect with individuals on a human level, to “let them know that ‘hey, actually I take my boots and my badge and stuff off and I’m still human outside of this.’”

Sewell believes a key piece of improving interactions between police and the community will be recruiting more individuals from historically-underserved communities to join the profession and drive change from inside.

Sewell and Williams made a point to express their gratitude for finding their careers in law enforcement. “It ended up being the career choice that really made a difference in the lives of the community as well as my own personal life,” shared Williams. “I wouldn’t trade a single day,” agreed Sewell. “I’d recommend everyone do it, to an extent. I think everyone needs to understand what it’s like to be on both sides...so that we have this, this ecosystem between the public and law enforcement.”

They also expressed pride that policing as a whole is working hard to evolve and improve when it comes to both recruiting and community engagement. “I know we’re better. I know we’re more transparent. I know we’re learning more. Do we have more to learn? Absolutely...What we used to do in the 80s and 90s is very different than what we do now in 2024...so I think we’ve made tremendous progress, but I think there’s more progress to be made.”

Williams and Sewell are continuing to be part of that progress. Today, Williams serves on the Axon Board of Directors, and Sewell works as a Campus Representative on the Axon Sales team. They both appreciate having the unique opportunity to work alongside their former peers and communities as they work to Protect Life, while also sharing their experiences from public safety with Axon employees who have not been in that position.

A Force For Good

Being a force for good means working to instill positive change consistently. Over the past month, our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team and Mosaic, our employee resource group for Black employees, have collaborated to bring impactful Black History Month programming to our entire company. In addition to the hosted discussion with Chief Williams and Trent Sewell, we held a virtual session on Balance, Health and Wellness, hosted a “Taste of Culture” event at Axon Headquarters and partnered with the Black Tech Achievement Awards on a new 'Force for Good Award.'

But celebrating Black contributions in both the tech and public safety industries is a year-round opportunity. As part of our work to encourage Black employees in tech and support our Black public safety partners, we are building strong relationships with organizations that serve communities currently underrepresented in tech, and working to ensure our workforce reflects the diverse tapestry of our customers and the communities in which they serve.

Think Axon sounds like a good fit? Apply to join our team at axon.com/careers