Employee Spotlight: Victoria Austin - Thriving on TPD's Third Shift

In the quiet hours of the night, while most of the city of Toledo is asleep, a dedicated and close-knit team of third-shift employees at the Toledo Police Department work to ensure the safety and security of the community. Among them is Victoria Austin, a police clerk with two years of service at Toledo Police Department. She has worked for the City, on and off, for nearly 20 years.

Born and raised in Toledo, Victoria's roots run deep in the city. After graduating from the University of Toledo, she joined the Army and worked as a combat medic. Her time in the military equipped her with discipline and resilience, qualities that have served her well in her role with TPD.

Austin’s decision to start a third shift schedule was driven by necessity and the desire to be present for her children, especially during their teenage years. "At first, it was a necessity when I had young kids because I was a single parent, and they were at an age where they could stay by themselves, like 13 and up, you know, teenagers,” Austin said.

“When I started third shift, so it was convenient for me to be at work. They sleep, and when I get home, I can still get them ready for school, see them after school, asleep when they're at school, and then when they are off, I can still go to activities. And so it just worked for me as a single parent."

However, working the third shift presents its own unique set of challenges, the most significant of which is the limited availability of staff from other agencies that Toledo Police Department she needs to collaborate with.

As a police clerk, Austin is responsible for performing background checks, confirming driver's license statuses, sending bookings to the county and prison, and filing arrest warrants. But sometimes being on the third shift for this position can have challenges.

“The most challenging part of being on the third shift is that not a lot of other agencies have third shift staffers so a lot of things can't handled immediately and so I sometimes have to wait and hand the question or problem off to another shift so that can be a challenge,” Austin said.

Despite these challenges, Austin said her time on third shift is a uniquely rewarding experience. She and her third shift colleagues are very close. This sense of camaraderie among the third-shift workers creates a supportive and collaborative atmosphere. Austin said that she and her team work all work well together and support each other and the Toledo Police Department.

“We have each other’s backs and work together through thick and thin,” Austin said. "It's like a family, you know, we get on each other's nerves sometimes, but we all work and help each other. If one of us is sick we all come together and help each other. Even on the night shift we have social events on our break- but it is kind of hard to have pizza delivered for a pizza party,” Austin said.

Victoria Austin's dedication to the third shift at the Toledo Police Department reflects not only her commitment to her community but also her profound sense of responsibility as a single parent. Her story, like that of her fellow third-shift workers, is a testament to the unheralded heroes who quietly uphold the safety and security of our cities during the darkest hours of the night.