Year Of The Woman In Bel Air -- Kayhla Hendren

Press release from the Town of Bel Air:

Posted on: October 5, 2020

Posted on: October 5, 2020

Year of the Woman ~ Kayhla Hendren

A life-long interest in police work, persistent investigative skills and dependable street smarts led Corporal Kayhla Hendren to become the first woman supervisor in Bel Air Police Department (BAPD) history, says Chief of Police Charles Moore.

“She is passionate about police work,” says Chief Moore.

Law enforcement has been a way of life for Corporal Hendren, who grew up in east Baltimore as the daughter of a career Baltimore police officer. She wanted to be in law enforcement as far back as kindergarten. Officer Hendren spent 3 1/2 years as a Baltimore police officer before coming to the BAPD in 2007.

To Hendren, woman law enforcement officers broaden the ability to serve residents. Both male and female officers respond to the same calls, but women bring a unique perspective to some situations. “Women tend to be nurturers and sometimes look at the larger picture. Children might relate better to someone who looks like a mom. Then, there are officers who fill the role of the dad figure as well.”

Is the job scary? “All my family asks me that. You rely on your training. That’s why the training at the academy is so hard. You do things over and over until it becomes muscle memory.”

She admits that having two school-aged children has made her more conscious of the risks, but reminds them that this is her career. Several years ago, Hendren was directing traffic at a fire scene when a vehicle struck her and rolled over the right side of her body. She spent the next three years in grueling outpatient physical therapy, several major surgeries and later, intensive reconditioning, to return to work.

She tells her children: “The job is hard sometimes, but you always do what is best for others for the greater good.”

Additional Info...

This press release was produced by the Town of Bel Air. The views expressed here are the author’s own.