KIMBERLY KORRIN
I was an accidental cop. I never planned a career in law enforcement. I needed a job to go to school to be a teacher and when a friend offered the Travis County Sheriff's Office was hiring, I be-bopped into Central Booking in Austin, Texas as a clerk, just two months out of high school. When my grandmother passed, I got behind in my studies and I never made it a priority to return to school.
A few years in, I made the decision to promote to Corrections Officer and was fortunate to stay at Booking. A short time after completing the Basic Peace Officer Course, I transferred to Prisoner Transport, eventually ending my corrections tenure as a Background Investigator and Recruiter.
Determined to become a detective, I moved over to the Law Enforcement bureau as a Patrol Deputy, and it was here I found my calling to work with domestic violence victims. I received multiple accolades from prosecutors and detectives and was honored to be recognized as Deputy of the Year by the Victim Services Unit.
Still having a desire to teach, I transferred to Community Outreach. I led programs as a Child Passenger Safety Technician, planned tailored events for underserved youth, and focused on community education to include domestic violence focused conferences for criminal justice practitioners and crime prevention presentations to established neighborhood watch groups and other community organizations. I also became an Adjunct Instructor teaching classroom and scenario-based training for negotiators and SWAT operators.
Years later I made the transition to the Crisis Intervention Team and joined the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators. I continued negotiation and mental health instruction for my agency and began teaching law enforcement officers across the state. I served the Crisis Negotiations Team for 16 years and remain the longest running member.
In 2014, I took my oath as a detective after achieving the high score on both the written test and oral interview. I had my pick of 3 potential assignments and, joke's on the Major at the time, I purposely listed the Family Violence Unit as my third choice thinking he wouldn't let me have it if I'd asked for it. I was fortunate to work with amazing advocates and prosecutors for almost 8 years as I investigated non-sex/non-fatal intimate partner violence and raised the bar to model thorough investigative practices. I taught state-recognized domestic violence courses, collaborated with prosecutors to develop targeted training for Patrol, conducted curbside classroom while working off-duty assignments, and became a reliable resource for deputy consults. I was again recognized by the Victim Services Unit who awarded me Detective of the Year. I was also honored to serve on the Travis County Domestic Violence High Risk Team.
Anticipating the final few years of my career, I transferred to the Internal Affairs Unit. My primary duties included investigating custodial deaths and allegations of employee misconduct. This included Officer-Perpetrated Domestic Violence which sparked a quest to expand education and awareness specific to these under-recognized crimes in hopes to bring greater accountability.
In July of 2024, I honorably completed 31 years of proud service to the citizens of Travis County. I held certificates from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement as a Master Jailer, Master Peace Officer, Instructor, Mental Health Officer, and Sex Assault Family Violence Investigator. I left with experiences I never could have imagined and had the privilege to walk alongside some of the most vulnerable as they navigated some of the worst events of their life. The countless friends I still hold dear signifies the true measure of a successful career.
As I brainstormed names for this company, I found the blue opal represents trauma healing and I immediately knew it was meant to be. Establishing the business as a collective not only allowed me opportunities to collaborate with my respected colleagues, it also allowed me to develop trainings from the perspective of my collective experience.
I consider it an extreme privilege to share the knowledge and experience I've gained through so many survivors and practitioners. It is my goal to pay this forward by providing sustainable practices and strategies to improve the responses of law enforcement and their partners working within the criminal legal system.