Nearly thirty-six years in any one career is certainly an outstanding accomplishment – especially when said profession is half a lifetime in law enforcement – but Peggy Sealy wouldn’t have had it any other way.
More than three decades after planting the seeds of that career in high school, Sealy recently announced her retirement as chief of the Hattiesburg Police Department. Her last official day on the job is scheduled for January 31, 2024.
“Serving almost 36 years, having that much time in, I’m just wanting to spend more time with my family and travel with my family,” Sealy said. “Just for my overall well-being, I thought (next month) would be a good time to start a retirement.
“I’m going to travel to Alaska and Wyoming (with my husband Don) – I have family in Alaska, and it’s been several years since I’ve been up there. I haven’t been able to go up there and spend time like I want to, so that’s going to be my first trip.”
Sealy’s love for law enforcement began during her high school years, when she served with the Laurel Police Department’s Junior Explorer program. That position gave Sealy her first glimpse into what it would take to become an actual police officer.
“I got to do ride-alongs with police officers with the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and the Ellisville Police Department, and the Laurel Police Department,” Sealy said. “So that seed was embedded in me at a young age.
“I love the service (aspect of the job) – just to help people is most rewarding, and this job is rewarding in so many different ways. It’s helping people, meeting, people – it’s ultimately to have that sense of meeting and helping people.”
After that initial stint in Jones County, Sealy began her official career in 1988 as a meter maid, working that beat in the downtown Hattiesburg area. In 1992, she attended and graduated from the Hattiesburg Police Academy, where she was mentored by her superior, Captain Gloria Rawson.
“When I got the opportunity to apply for the Hattiesburg Police Academy, I had to jump on it,” Sealy said.
Since being sworn into the Hattiesburg Police Department, Sealy has served in several roles in most of the department’s divisions, including patrol, special operations, criminal investigations, academy instruction, internal affairs, accreditation and administration. Throughout her years of service, she worked her way up from sergeant to lieutenant and then captain.
From 2017 to 2020, she served as the department’s assistant chief and was appointed by Mayor Toby Barker in late 2020 to take over the department from retiring chief Anthony Parker. With that appointment, Sealy became Hattiesburg’s first female police chief.
“Chief Sealy’s positive influence has been felt throughout her career and specifically over the last seven years,” Barker said in a statement. “She helped modernize the Hattiesburg Police Department through her leadership during the transition into a new facility, advocacy for higher officer pay and cultivating a more relational, community-driven approach to policing.
“Her rank of chief proved that any officer can come in, work hard, seize opportunities and truly make an impact. Her performance in a time of heightened scrutiny and accountability will be seen as a model for how law enforcement agencies can evolve to grow neighborhood support while making communities safer.”
Some of the highlights of Sealy’s career include recruitment and retention strategies resulting in the largest pay increase for sworn personnel in a decade, as well as community policing through summer youth programming, bike patrol and neighborhood meetings. She also continued a departmental push for upgrades in necessary technology like the increased installation and use of Project NOLA cameras.
Another milestone in her career was helping lead the department’s move from Klondyke Street to its new (and original) home on James Street and Hall Avenue. The $30 million Public Safety Complex recently was completed to serve as a new home for the department to replace the outdated former facility at that site.
During her time on the force – whether as a patrol officer or chief – Sealy’s favorite part of the job has always been having the opportunity to interact with the public. Those opportunities have been afforded to her by simple public visits or events like National Night Out Against Crime, an annual gathering that allows citizens and police officers to interact, share stories and address issues in the community.
“I love meeting new people and community policing in every aspect,” Sealy said. “That part, I love. Being a police chief, being a leader, is a responsibility all on its own.
“But to continue that passion with community policing, still being able to meet with the residents and hear their concerns and addressing their concerns (is a great opportunity). I’ve also been able to hear the officers and their concerns at the same time.”
Sealy’s replacement as chief will soon be recommended by Barker and voted on by members of the Hattiesburg City Council.
“I would hope (that hiring) comes from within the police department,” Sealy said. “If I was asked what my thoughts were, I would hope that they would stay within the department.
“We have a very good department, and we have a large number of supervisors who can step into any role at the police department. I’d like to personally thank Mayor Barker and the city council members for giving me this opportunity to serve as chief of police for Hattiesburg, which I believe is a great city.”
