The squeaking of rubber boots echoes off the halls as the Athens County Sheriff’s Office’s newest environmental deputy walks to her desk with a gun on her hip and a book bag on her back.
Jen Atkins’ unusual combination of equipment is a glimpse into her two different lives: one as a deputy and one as a full-time Ohio University student.
While most students get home from class, kick off their shoes and sink into the couch for a few hours before even thinking about homework, Atkins is multi-tasking.
“There’s no reason why you can’t eat while you’re doing your homework,” she said.
The OU senior works 30 hours a week in the sheriff’s environmental division in addition to her 15 credit hours of classes toward a degree in sociology and criminology. On top of it all, Atkins plans to attend as many crew team practices as possible from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. every morning.
“It’s just a matter of learning how to use your time efficiently,” she said.
After Atkins’s countless push-ups, punches and practice with a gun during her 700 hours at the Athens County Police Academy last Winter and Spring Quarters, Capt. Bryan Cooper recommended her for the position she now holds, after the deputy she replaced took another job.
“The captain approached me and said, ‘Do you want a job?’ I said, ‘What?’ Then he said he had just talked to the sheriff and that I should go say something and make a good impression,” Atkins said.
She responded with, “I can do that.”
The impression must have been good, because Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly said Atkins was the best choice for the position.
“I spoke with my captain about the reserves to see who would be right for the position,” Kelly added. “He recommended a couple people, so I talked to all of them and settled on Jen being our environmental deputy.”
Kelly, who described Atkins as intelligent and outgoing, said her enthusiasm brings life back into the office.
“I thought that she would be very capable of doing this job, and she has excelled far beyond my expectations,” Kelly said.
While working for the sheriff, Atkins patrols the county and looks for excessive amounts of trash and individuals who are not complying with state code. Since she began in June, Atkins has already had many opportunities to clean up the county, including a particularly bad site in Dover Township.
“I took some community service workers from the court up, and we pulled out half a ton of trash that had been dumped over an embankment on the side of the road,” she said. “That was pretty cool, environmentally.”
Though she never expected to be working for an environmental division, Atkins said she has known that she wanted to be in the criminal justice field since high school.
“I worked an after-school program in high school for juveniles who were court-placed, so I saw a lot of kids who got in the system and couldn’t get out,” Atkins said. “I knew early on that I wanted to work in the criminal justice field so I could help make a difference for those kids.”
Like many other college students, Atkins is outgoing and a great friend. She’s able to balance school, a bustling social life and a near-full-time job, said Mike Rigol, an OU student and friend of Atkins.
“Jen is not exactly what you would typically think of when you think of the (sheriff’s office), but I’ve seen her when she needs to be stern,” Rigol added. “She’s driven and goal-oriented, and she’ll do what it takes to move up.”
Although both of Atkins’ parents fully support her in her criminal justice endeavors, they are sometimes split when it comes to worrying.
“My dad thinks it’s really cool,” she said. “He’ll call and ask me about what kind of cases I’ve been working on. Mom’s interested, too, but she’s just more likely to panic.”
Her father, Don, said he is always concerned but supports his daughter because this position will serve as a steppingstone for her future.
“We worry about her, because we know that you run into all kinds of people,” Don said. “But she recognizes things like that, and she’s very cautious.”
Atkins said she knows there are risks involved but said they’re worth it because she’s helping others. She said there is a unique feeling that comes with knowing that your job is making life better for other people.
“It’s nice when you can go home at the end of the day and know you’ve done something to help somebody,” she said. “This is one of those jobs.”
ls114509@ohiou.edu
