Parent Profile: Jerad Shehorn

Photo by Darrin Phegley

Tell us a little about yourself (Family, pets, etc.)

I was raised in Henderson County and have spent most of my adult life here. I live in Niagara with my wife, Leslie, and our two kids, Tate (10) and Tilly (7). We also have a golden doodle (Riley) and a cat (Poppy). I have spent my entire adult life in various public service roles in Henderson and Vanderburg Counties, serving as a police officer, professional firefighter/EMT, and a deputy sheriff. We also own two small businesses in Henderson and spend a lot of time managing and developing them. One is commercial turf management, and the other is commercial trailer sales and portable storage units. We have fun growing our businesses with our business partners and team members. I also enjoy spending time outdoors with my family, whether it’s hunting, fishing, physical fitness, camping, or whatever else we can do to enjoy being outside. We are also long-time members of Zion Baptist Church, where we have met so many great friends and had the chance to grow our faith within a strong community of people.

What do you do for a living, and how long have you been in that role? 

I am starting my 17th year with the City of Henderson, where I currently serve as a sergeant in the operations division. I also spent time on the administrative side of the department, where I worked in professional development for several years as the director of training. Outside of my normal duties I serve as the team commander over the “Water Operations” division in the department.

What do you enjoy most about being a police officer? What are some of the challenges? 

There are really two key things that make policing enjoyable for me. First, the opportunities you have to build relationships are infinite. As a police officer, you have many avenues to meet new people, including but not limited to community groups, non-profits, co-workers, educators, first responders, business leaders, churches, members of the media, and many more. Secondly, police work is influential. Inherently, the career itself gives you a level of community trust that comes with the badge. If you have a servant’s heart, it is a fantastic chance for you to make a significant and lasting impact on the lives of the ones you encounter each day. 

A few years ago, our command staff asked me to help with school safety in our community. I found myself so excited with this opportunity that, along with a fantastic team of local professionals from the school board office and other emergency services organizations in our community (of which I was the least of), we built and implemented one of the best emergency response plans for schools in the state of Kentucky. 

One of the most significant is the influence we can have on local youth. The most fulfilling thing we can do as police officers is offer guidance and compassion to our youth. To educate them, coach them on how to grow and make better decisions, and empower them to become strong members of our communities for the years to come. I try to use this time with them to plant small seeds in their lives. I encourage core values that can be carried through life, such as effort, attitude, respect, empathy, accountability, discipline, and trustworthiness. 

Regularly, I see the behind-the-scenes work it takes to make an impact on a community, especially with the organizations facilitated by police officers. The citizens of Henderson likely don’t know how many of our local police officers volunteer themselves to the point of exhaustion to ensure that non-profit organizations succeed and that our local youth have opportunities through these programs. You rarely see their faces because they do it for the right reasons, but their efforts are significant, and they should be recognized for the hard work they put into making a difference in the lives of less fortunate kids.  

As for the challenges, there are many. Professionally, we continue to experience a very concerning trend across the nation in law enforcement: the next generation shows less interest in this career. From a more personal perspective, there are many challenges with the job, both emotionally and physically. While the job can give you so many things that other careers can’t, it can also be highly demanding. Long hours, critical incidents, experiencing the worst of humanity in some cases, and the burdensome sense of hypervigilance that tags along for days even after your last tour has ended can be cumulative and overwhelming at times.

When you aren’t on duty making a difference and helping others in Henderson, what hobbies do you and your family enjoy? 

Time off is very important to me. There are two main things I focus on when I am not policing: family, which I consider essential, and entrepreneurship, which I enjoy personally. With two young kids heavily involved in sports and recreation, we spend a lot of time at practices or games. It is a passion of mine not only to watch my kids but to serve as a coach and help kids grow in various ways. To me, coaching kids in youth sports is a huge stress reliever. My family and I also love to travel. We own an RV, and we spend a fair amount of time on the road throughout the summer and fall. We love spending time together with our friends and family in the mountains or at the beach. I am also an avid hunter and spend a lot of time with my son in the woods, either hunting whatever is in season or preparing for the next season. Lastly, I love physical fitness and try to make it part of my daily routine. That is something I take seriously and enjoy doing with my family as well when we get the opportunity.

How do you balance work and family life? 

When it comes to work-life balance, it isn’t easy. Shift work is very challenging, but I also serve/have served on several of our department’s special operations teams, and there are often incidents when we get called out while we are off duty. The older and more experienced I get, the more important it is for me to focus on my family when I am off and make it my top priority. Work/life balance has always been a struggle for police officers, but having close family and friends to spend time with is vital to maximizing your career. I try to disconnect from my job when I am off duty completely. 

What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a police officer? 

If you’re interested in becoming a police officer: 1) Call the police department and request to speak with a recruit team member. Recruiters can provide specific information about applicant processes. 2) Schedule a ride-along. This will give you exclusive access to the inner workings of being in a patrol car and experiencing a call in person. 3) Enroll in the citizens academy. You will experience how our department operates and learn about the agency’s internal operations. You will have insider access to training simulations, crime scene investigations, traffic and patrol functions, perform a simulated traffic stop, and explore the many special operations teams we offer to our community. 4) Maintain a good reputation. Police officers undergo a highly in-depth background examination during the application process. Having a strong work history, sound credit/finances, and personal references are qualities police administrators place great value on when considering recruits. 5) Stay in good physical shape. A step of the process that costs us many applicants is the agility test. This is a step we are bound by law to follow. 

You are involved in many ways in our community, including the Shop with a Cop program during the holiday season. Can you tell us more about this program and what it means to be part of this event? 

In my career, I have been fortunate to participate in and support several community events/organizations. We are proud to have many officers who serve in various organizations, such as Cops Connecting with Kids, Audubon Kids Zone, Dunks with Dads, 911 Gives Hope, Coffee with a Cop, and many more. 

My personal favorite is our annual Shop with a Cop event, which takes place in December. It is organized by our local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police here in Henderson. It has an immediate impact on kids in Henderson who need essential items, including clothing, underwear, personal hygiene products, and winter coats. This program is designed by event organizers to collaborate with our school district to select children who need assistance during the holidays. While a specific list may be used to help organize the event, event organizers never turn away a child who needs help. Even in years where we lack extra funding, our officers and the community will step up to make sure the kids are taken care of. The event is organized so that a police officer or deputy sheriff, along with their family, is assigned a child, and we are turned loose in Walmart to go shopping! While there is a list of essential needs we try to buy for the kids, they get to pick out styles and designs of clothing they like or want. Once the essentials list is fulfilled, we can take the kids to the toy aisle, where they can pick out any toy they want, or even a bicycle. As police officers, this is a special time each year when we get to put a smile on a child’s and their parents’ faces by showering them with what they need and showing them that, just because we wear a uniform and badge, we are just like them. It is a fantastic feeling. 

For my family and me, we have made this an annual family event, and as my kids grow older, they have taken over, usually getting to know the children we shop with and helping them select the items they want. This is such a meaningful way to support kids in our community. 

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this event is costly, and it takes the generosity of our community to make it happen. I challenge each person who sees this to consider giving to this cause or any of the others I have mentioned. Your gift goes directly to children in this community. The money we raise for this event is directly allocated for it. In recent years, we have had a decline in donations, and I ask that anyone who feels led to help this holiday season stop any Henderson police officer or deputy you see in the community and ask them how to donate. For the Henderson Police Department, call 270-831-1295 and ask to speak with Detective Jake Isonhhod or me. For the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, call 270-826-2713 and ask for Deputy Jermaine Poynter or Deputy Dwayne Reneer. Although you may never meet the children you are helping or the police officers who are shopping with them, your generosity makes this program happen each year.