News : Officer Charity Hansel Vinton Graduate dedicates her life to help others

Officer Charity Hansel a Vinton graduate now part of the Cedar Rapids PD finds joy in serving

Officer Charity Hansel started life in Vinton, a graduate of Vinton High School with plans to be an attorney. But life had much better plan for her.

After seeing a courtroom and how it worked, she felt like she could make a greater change if she were not in this profession, so she changed course and graduated from Upper Iowa University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration. Not settling for an office job, she enlisted in the National Guard and was a Combat Medic for 8 years.

Following her service there, she became part of the Cedar Rapids Police Department where she has served for 27 years. The first ten years she served on patrol and became a drunk driver specialist and a field training officer.

She then became part of the Honor Guard.

Later she moved into the Sex Crimes Unit in Criminal Investigations, where her specialty was sexual exploitation of children. She also became a crisis negotiator.

With all of the intense work that Officer Hansel has been part of, she has also had been steadfast fixture in the Shop with a Cop program assisting in almost every event in the last 18 years.

Officer Hansel said, “My entire professional life has been towards making the lives of children better. When my husband and I lost two of our own babies, we were devastated. Shortly thereafter, the position at Kennedy became available. I couldn’t be more blessed because I now have over 1800 babies!! I know statistically when a student doesn’t graduate high school, they have a 70% increased chance of being arrested. I don’t want that for my son or anyone’s child. I recognize the importance of high school and I want to be another pillar of support for our kids to earn their own diplomas. Each student is perfectly made and deserves to be able to show the world how amazing they are. I absolutely love being an SRO!”

She's an advocate for children and has worked tirelessly to help those around her to have better lives. She said, "God said He did not give us a spirit of fear but of love, strength and compassion.  This was just a natural fit!"

She is now part of the face of Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. Working with the teenagers she's become several things to them. Sometimes she's taken the role on as a counselor, in the lives of the kids as they maneuver through life. Other times she's there to help maintain a little order or to lend a hand where she can in life. 

Working hard to foster relationships with the lives that she touches every day, Officer Hansel doesn't take her responsibility lightly. While it's assumed that she's there strictly for safety, she has found her calling in helping the lives of the children around her. 

She summed it up best when she said, "These are my kids. This job is a blessing to me because it’s a chance to change lives.”