Without a plan for her future, Tracy Skibins joined the Army Reserves out of high school to help pay for her college tuition. She became a military police officer and loved it. After college she joined the South Bend Police Department in Indiana working the night shift. Eventually, Skibins found herself as an investigator for the Special Victims Unit on domestic violence and child abuse. Throughout her career, she has become certified and/or an instructor in a number of specialties including Defensive Tactics, Fire Arms Training Simulator, Hostage/Crisis Negotiator, Rape Aggression Defense, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design to name a few.
“I think my experience has made me a more well-rounded professional because you react the way you are trained and have the perspective of reacting effectively not if but when something bad happens,” she says.