Kassaedy Bolden, a native of Greenwood, is a dispatcher with the Greenwood Police Department.
Bolden, 25, has been working there about four months, she said. Others in the office are trying to convince her to become a patrol officer as well, but she hasn’t decided on it yet.
“I just go with the flow,” she said.
Growing up, she attended Leflore County High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Mississippi Valley State University.
She also played basketball at both schools. Basketball, she said, “was a chance to express yourself. Freedom.
“You have responsibilities, but it’s also (allowing) you to be the person that you really feel inside. You get to portray that.” She said the sport allows you to let out pent-up feelings.
She also played softball and was involved in shot put.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she immediately enrolled at Delta State University in Cleveland and earned her master’s degree in sports and human performance. She worked for a year and a half at the Lenny’s Sub Shop location in Cleveland as well.
Her goal is to be an athletic trainer, but that requires more schooling. She said she’s in a break period at the moment, which is what allowed her the opportunity to apply for the job at the Police Department.
“I was looking for a change,” she said. “I wanted to see if I could actually help out in different ways. I like helping out and making a difference.”
Dispatchers rotate shifts every four months. Bolden is currently on the morning shift.
A dispatcher is known for being the first line of communication for people who need police assistance, but Bolden also has several other responsibilities. She sends and receives information from officers on patrol, such as running license plate and driver’s license information sent in during traffic stops.
“Every call that comes to the station comes to us first,” she said. “We transfer them over to the correct space they’re supposed to go to. If they need to leave a message, we take it. We dispatch the officers. If they call for an ambulance or a towing company, we call those companies and dispatch them as well.”
She said she doesn’t have many hobbies, but her favorite is spending time with her friends and family.
Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
