F E M A L E
VIELE
PETER BY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
POTTER
ALLISON PONDERS
F I R S T R E S First responders defy the norm: they are trained
to rush toward an emergency scene and its
dangers. Usually, they are the first skilled pro-fessionals
— medical and law enforcement —
to arrive when life or property is in peril.
Patrol Officer C. Ficarro
With an inimitably warm smile and easy charm, Wrightsville
Beach Patrol Officer C. Ficarro brings a calm sense of gentility to
her role as she enforces the town’s laws. It all began in her earlier
career working with kindergarten through fifth-grade students as a
physical education teacher and a high school coach. It was there that
she learned to negotiate different personalities with her endearing
disposition, “It’s kind of the same, but not. I love children but I re-evaluated
what I wanted to do. I’m very much a protector and found
myself leaning toward law enforcement. I’m strict on my ethics and
morals — I believe in right and wrong.”
Positions of authority within the ranks remain disproportionate
across the country, “The first female officer was over 100 years ago
and you’d think by now that it would be 50/50 male and female,
but it’s not,” Ficarro says.
As a new officer, she found inspiration that there was hope for
a long-term career in law enforcement in the now-retired Captain
V. Blanton. Coming after a female lead captain reassured her a path
had been blazed for her to follow. And the camaraderie and inspira-tion
from her male counterparts and superiors do continue to drive
her, particularly Detective T. Greene. “I look up to him so much …
I can’t wait to learn more from him.”
“I was drawn to Wrightsville Beach and I love the community
aspect. I can be on the street with traffic but I can also get on the
beach, break up the 12-hour shift and hit different parts of the town.
We can touch the community in all different ways,” Ficarro says.
Instead of setting her back, her kind demeanor and smaller stature
often allow her to defuse potentially problematic situations. For exam-ple,
when responding to a call, Ficarro credits being a petite female
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WBM june 2019