Linda Hunter
To Serve And Protect - Officers
Friday, 27 March 2009 22:09
Behind the Scene ~ Linda Hunter
We have introduced you to the men who make up the Lumberton Police Department. These men work diligently to serve and protect our fair city. This week, we would like to introduce you to the lady behind the men. We would like to introduce you to Police Secretary Linda Hunter.
Mrs. Hunter has been the secretary for the Lumberton Police Department for almost 19 years. She started working for the city in February of 1990 as a part-time employee to help the court out with a back-log of warrants.
Chief Reynolds had become the Police Chief in October of ‘89, so he was new to the Department. The Chief got Mrs. Hunter to help with some of the secretarial duties at the Police Department.
After a couple of months, Chief Reynolds realized that the Police Department needed their own secretary and offered the position to Hunter. She accepted the position in May, 1990 and has served in the position since then. She has been a part of many changes in the city.
Over the years she has either created, implemented or learned many of the procedures that are now in effect in the office at the Police Department. Whether creating a policy out of necessity for the position or to be in compliance for local, state or federal policies, she has been instrumental for making the Office Manager position what it is today.
Hunter says that her primary duty is to process offense reports that the police fill out when they are on patrol and make a report or arrest a suspect. She has to number the report, type it up, make copies and process it where it can be presented to the County Attorney or District Attorney’s Office.
But her job duties don’t stop there. As we were discussing the duties of her position, Hunter received a phone call on the police line. The call was from a resident whose emus were out and in a neighbors yard. Mrs. Hunter advised the caller of what he should do. All in a day’s work. She also does the Racial Profile Report and many other statistical reports as well as being the Dispatcher for the city.
As if the office duties and dispatching and answering the phones weren’t enough, Hunter also takes care of the department’s mascot, Jade. Jade is a grey cat that stays at the Police Department. He was brought into the department about 8 years ago. Jade has only three legs, but gets around the office with ease. He is positively an office cat. Mrs. Hunter has been married to her blushing groom, Karl, for 24 years. She has two step-children, Chad (who also works for the City of Lumberton and has one child) and Janet (who lives in Atascosita and has six children) seven grandchildren, and a son, Eric (who graduates this year).
She attends Family Worship Center in Beaumont and is very active in her church. She sings in the choir and teaches 4-5 year-olds in Sunday School. “I couldn’t make it through the day without my church family,” she said. “They’re just awesome. If I didn’t have them praying for me every day I don’t know if I’d make it.”
As far as hobbies, Mrs. Hunter says that she and Karl love to travel. Their hopes are to travel all over the country when they retire (Karl isn’t really crazy about flying). She said that traveling is their passion. She also likes to read (favorite authors include Nicholas Sparks and Joyce Meyer).
After talking a little about the book that she is currently reading, Hunter confessed her favorite hobby - sitting outside with Karl and enjoying life. A twinkle was in her eyes as she talked about the time she spends with her husband. It was very heartwarming to see her obvious love for her spouse and to hear the giddiness in her voice when she talked about him. Even after 24 years of marriage, she still has a school-girl crush on him.
I must admit that I had never imagined that there was so much to the secretary job at a police department. The duties and responsibilities would be overwhelming to the average person, But, as I discovered during this interview, Linda Hunter is everything but “average”. She is very dedicated to her job, to her faith, to her family. I have a whole new respect for her.
I have spoken to her almost every week since starting the paper, but I never knew that she was such a wonderful person. In retrospect, I have discovered that the entire staff of the Lumberton Police Department is made up of a group extraordinary people. They are just your average people in Lumberton, but so much more.
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know a little more about these fine people as much as I have. My hat is off and my complete respect goes out to each and every member of the staff at the Lumberton Police Department.
