We are happy to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month in December is Lt. Amanda Thomasson. Amanda is a 1997 Pearl High School graduate and attended Hinds Community College. She began her career with PPD in 2001 as a Dispatcher. She graduated from Southern Regional Public Safety Institute in September 2006 and worked as a Patrol Officer. She was promoted to Patrol Sgt. in 2011, promoted to Investigator in Juvenile in 2014 and to Lt. in Juvenile Investigations in 2015. Lt. Thomasson is currently on Day Shift Patrol. On September 26, 2018 Lt. Thomasson began her day at 6 am on patrol like every other morning. After roll call she chatted with her shift before beginning their tour for the day. It was just another day. Little did she realize that a major storm was brewing that would drop heavy amounts of near record rainfall onto the low lying areas of Pearl, all within a span of 3 – 5 hours. PPD received over 900 calls for service due to flooding, families trapped in their homes from rising water and concerns from parents regarding their children being dismissed from school early. There was also a building collapse, widespread power outages and a disturbance involving a gun. Lt. Thomasson orchestrated a quick and decisive plan of action and led the way as Commander in Charge allowing for imperative communication and prioritizing calls for service based on the severity and urgent need for response.
She will say that she was just “doing her job”, but to meet the demands requested in an emergency situation such as this, it takes diligence, determination, patience and the ability to effectively communicate with fellow officers, rescue teams and the public in the midst of chaos.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Lt. Thomasson with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Gift Card, a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a complimentary meal for two, a $25 Outlets of MS Gift Card, a Yeti can holder and a Fit Bit. The Alumni House Sports Bar & Grill donated a $25 Gift Card, Moss Creek Fish House donated a $30 Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated a complimentary meal for 2, the Pearl Municipal Federal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; Eclipse Nutrition donated a certificate for 5 FREE shakes; Great American Cookie donated a chocolate chip cookie cake and Revell Hardware donated a stainless steel tumbler.