Laying down the badge

After 25 years in law enforcement and two Officer of the Year awards, Hallettsville Police Department’s (HPD) only female officer prepares to lay down her badge to enjoy retirement with family. 

Lt. Erica Padilla’s final day as a full-time HPD officer is set for Dec. 31, concluding a career in local law enforcement that spans several positions in Victoria and Hallettsville. 

Although she would miss her fellow officers and HPD coworkers, Padilla said she was excited to enter retirement after working in the field she long aspired to call her own. 

Padilla’s journey with police work began in 1997 when she enrolled in the night academy at the Victoria Police Department (VPD) while working as a bank teller at age 21. She said she was inspired to follow in the footsteps of her aunt Yolanda Ritchey, who bore the badges of Victoria and Austin police departments during her career. 

“It was difficult, but I pushed through and did everything that the men did. I didn’t want any special treatment; everything they did, I could do,” said Padilla of her time in the police academy. “They treated me fairly. All of my coworkers knew I could handle myself because I never asked to be treated differently and didn’t expect to be.”

After earning the title of top gun in her class, Padilla said she was eager to start her career as a police officer. On weekends she voluntarily rode along with VPD officers to gain experience in the patrol car. 

“Seeing all the excitement they went through really inspired me to do the job even more,” said Padilla of ride-alongs with the late VPD officer Phillip Barron Jr.

Padilla joined VPD as a police officer in 1997, assuming several roles over 15 years with the agency. Her roles in Victoria included working in a special crimes unit (SCU), as a patrol sergeant and a detective.

In 2010, she moved to Hallettsville and commuted to Victoria for three years. Her performance with the SCU was recognized in 2011 with an Officer of the Year title from the Victoria 100 Club and Rotary Club of Victoria. 

Two years later, in January 2013, Padilla opted to leave the 152-man force in Victoria for the single-digit-sized group of Hallettsville officers closer to home after discussions with HPD Chief Randy Schlauch. 

“It was tough going from a big city to a small town. When they tell you that you’re not going to work as hard going from a big city to a small town, that’s not true…,” said Padilla. “When I came to Hallettsville, there were only one or two of us on the street at a time. We were always busy. I stayed just as busy as I did in Victoria.”

With an impressive background, Padilla escalated in rank within just six months with HPD, filling an open sergeant role. She reached her current role of lieutenant in July 2015 after graduating from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) Command College.

Padilla said she enjoyed getting to know the Hallettsville community and appreciated the town’s support for the local police department. In 2021 she received the Officer of the Year Award from the Hallettsville Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

“(My years in Hallettsville) went by so fast. What ultimately made my decision was that my first grandchild is on their way; (she) will be here in February. I am super excited,” said Padilla. “It made my decision so easy. I missed so much of my two boys growing up at this job that I will not miss my grandbaby growing up.”

Padilla’s retirement celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Hallettsville City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 1.