‘It can be a man’s world, but as females we make our place in it’: Army veteran becomes first-ever female traffic officer for Sugar Land PD

SUGAR LAND, Texas – The first in the family to graduate college, join the military and a local law enforcement agency is making history, again.

Sugar Land Police Department’s motors unit now has a female officer.

Officer Elizabeth Reyes is the first female to join the department’s traffic division.

“It can be a man’s world, but as females we make our place in it,” said Officer Reyes. “I am the first in the traffic division and the first to be on a motorcycle. I didn’t know at the time, I was pleasantly surprised when I was told.”

Reyes has been with the department for nearly six years.

“I am the first in my family to get a degree, go into the military, I went into the Army and did a year in Iraq,” she said.

A goal for Reyes has always been to ride bikes with the boys.

“I always saw them riding and I thought it was the coolest thing,” she said. “So, I put it in my head I wanted to accomplish being in the motor’s unit. I worked really, really hard. I tried multiple times, there was a whole interview process, which included lifting the bike, to knock it over to simulate falling over on the roadway and we have to be able to lift it on our own.”

The bike weighed close to 900 pounds.

Reyes’ demonstrated she could lift the bike, not once; but twice during our interview. She has a message for women everywhere.

“Stay determined, don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do anything, when you absolutely can, it’s going to take a lot of blood sweat and tears, but you can do it. And just know you can inspire someone else, and I hope that I can,” she said.

According to the City of Sugar Land, there have been several ‘firsts’ for women, from the first female police chief to the first female fire chief in Texas, to the first deputy city manager and others.

Reyes is just the latest and says she hopes not to be the last.


About the Author:

Zachery “Zach” Lashway anchors KPRC 2+ Now. He began at KPRC 2 as a reporter in October 2021.