WACO, Texas — Editor's Note | Video above and below is of Cierra Shipley doing her job as a civilian-sworn public information officer, or spokesperson, with the Waco Police Department during a shooting that took place last year.
For International Women's Month, 6 News is presenting a series titled "I Am Woman," which will highlight the exceptional women right here in Central Texas. These women have stories, goals and obstacles they have overcome in order to get where they are and give back to the community.
Cierra Shipley always knew that she wanted to be a reporter, but what she didn't know is where her journey would take her. From working in the news business to becoming the first female sworn-in civilian spokesperson for the Waco Police Department, Shipley became a friendly face to the Waco community.
When Shipley graduated from Northern State University, she started her career in Waco as a news reporter for KXXV. There, she learned the importance of building relationships in the community, she said.
"I love telling stories," she said. "I loved talking with people and learning their story. It was really humbling to get people to open up and want to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly that was going on in their life. I felt like I was able to help and in many different ways being a reporter could, you know, tell a story to help someone."
Shipley says that her journey as a journalist helped her realize her passion for wanting to help her community.
One way to do this was by bridging the gap between the community and police, she said.
"Being able to understand a little bit more about what the community wants to know, right away or what reporters need to know right away helped streamline communication a little bit more," she said. "And because I'm a civilian, I know what reporters need and it helps me communicate with the sergeants and the officers here at the department."
As a civilian public information officer (PIO), Shipley says her first obstacle was finding common ground with her fellow officers. In order to do this, her main goal was figuring out how to build a relationship with the community and her fellow officers.
"I feel like because there's a little bit more of an understanding, maybe from the community standpoint, they see me as a civilian and you know in my job I have to gain the community's trust as well," she said. "And so that's what I'm trying to do is build that trust between department and community and vice versa. So not only does the community have to trust our department, but our department has to put trust in our community as well."
Shipley wanted to make sure that Waco residents didn't just hear about the crimes that took place, but she also wanted residents to see both sides of the coin, she said.
"I wanted to tell the community how great our officers are," she said. "I think that's what I really strive for is to create a better community that people are, you know, proud of one another, we can all be happy to know we live in the community that we do."
Finding common ground helped Shipley create connections with officers and local government. With the work she has been doing in her position, sometimes, Shipley says, you don't always realize the mark you're making.
In fact, Shipley says it finally hit her when 6 News Digital called her for an interview.
"I'm so used to doing interviews every day and talking about the department and all the good things that we're doing and of course the struggles that we go through as well as the struggles the communities going through and how we can help fix that. So I was really excited that you wanted to do this story because I guess it made me realize... Oh, I am leaving a mark! The work I'm doing is being noticed by the community," she said. "And so, it's really humbling. It's exciting being able to bridge that gap and change the narrative."
A famous quote Shipley lives by is by Walt Disney, it goes: "Believe in it all the way implicitly and unquestionable."
Shipley has lived by this quote and stays true to following her own drum. As a former journalist and now PIO, her journey has definitely inspired her for the better, she said. You never know where life will take you, she said.
"I've learned to be true to yourself, which it seems kind of cheesy, but if you know your character and if you do understand, you know what's right and wrong," she said. "United, we can work to create a better environment and community, where we can all understand each other without conflict."
Shipley continues to inspire her community and those around her. Currently, where she is now, Shipley says she can't see herself doing anything else.
"I am so happy and proud of the work that I'm doing every day," she said. "I'm proud of what I get to show the community and I'm proud of this community as well. As of right now, I do not know what else I would do, because I'm having so much fun."
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