Lakewood Police Promote 1st Female Captain

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood Police promoted their first female captain this month. Leslie Wilkins, a 34-year veteran of the department, was made captain of the traffic and patrol division, the city announced.

Wilkins is a Lakewood resident and began working for Lakewood Police in 1985, as a dispatcher. She became the city's first female patrol officer in 1988. After more than three decades protecting the streets of Lakewood, she quips that the only job she hasn't done is animal warden.

The city's first female captain took time to reflect on her groundbreaking career and focused on her civil service exam. “I was just always putting pressure on myself to keep climbing. There were about 500 other people taking the test, and I didn’t know that they would ever hire a female patrol officer,” she admitted.

After working as a patrol officer, Wilkins took on a variety of roles for the police. She was a field training officer, a D.A.R.E. officer in the Lakewood Schools, spent 10 years in the detective bureau, was promoted to sergeant in 2006 and then lieutenant in 2011.

“I always wanted to better myself. The goal was always to retire promoted, but I just thought it was going to be as a Sergeant," she said. Now, she's the city's first female police captain.

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In her new role, Wilkins will "direct programs related to law enforcement, crime prevention, juvenile justice, and traffic enforcement," the city said. She will oversee approximately 60 officers.

As a trailblazer, Wilkins was happy to offer advice to young women dreaming of becoming police officers. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, and don’t tell yourself that you can’t do it either," she said.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch