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Editor’s note: This is dedicated to Major Clair’s mother, Alice, who passed away shortly after the article was written.
Phyllis Clair majored in Criminal Justice at Texas State University and began her career as a line officer in the Travis County Jail. Rising through the ranks, she became the first female Major of the Law Enforcement Bureau in the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2009. Sheriff Greg Hamilton has said that Clair was made for the job, bringing leadership with compassion, a sense of humor and the ability to get the right people to the table. She has created a balance among law enforcement, racquetball and her family.
5:30 a.m.
I usually wake up at and look at the clock, then go back to sleep for a half hour. I’m out of bed by 6:00. Long before my son Stephen was born, I was used to getting only 4-to-5 hours of sleep then getting back at it.
6:30 a.m.
I start breakfast and call up the stairs to the 11-year-old, “Turn the light on so I know you are awake … Hurry up, and eat.” Luckily, the bus stops right in front of our house. At 38, I had been promoted to Lieutenant when he was born and he’s always been a part of my work life. I remember running with him in a stroller in the Flamingo 5K which was part of the DARE program in West Lake.
7:30 a.m.
I hop in the shower, do my hair and makeup. When I was on patrol, I always had my lipstick on and my nails done with fuchsia polish. Now the uniform only comes out on ceremonial occasions and I wear a suit to work. I get in the unmarked car and head down I-35 to the office.
9:00 a.m.
I pull into the office on Airport Boulevard. When I got the position, it came with a “Crackberry.” At first, I started using it just to check appointments. One of the other Majors and I agreed not to get hooked, but we both got sucked into the vortex. I coordinate the day’s schedule with my assistant Jeannie and the two other Majors. The different divisions work collaboratively. The meetings start and my life becomes one big meeting.
10:00 a.m.
It is not much different than any other morning. I attend a SWAT team briefing along with Narcotics to review all the comings and goings. I read a lot of investigative packages and final reviews. The teams have already done a very good job. I’m now getting comfortable with the knowledge of the units so I can create data for the courts.
Coffee break. It’s bad around the office when people bring donuts. Cop food equals donuts and who can pass up donuts? I’ve gotten better about bringing fruit and yogurt.
Noon
I often work through lunch eating at the desk to multi-task. Lately, I’ve been packing my lunch, usually a wheat tortilla wrap. It’s the battle with the bulge and the economy. Sometimes we go out to lunch and the wrap gets left in the fridge. Our usual destination is Kim Phung’s Vietnamese and Chinese but then everything always goes better with egg rolls.
2:00 p.m.
I get a page about a burglary in progress. Information flow within the department is good and I need to be kept aware of things. My personal cell goes off while I’m making a call on the office phone and my pager is ringing. I’m paging Narcotics, trying to coordinate with a Captain. A real technology overload.
4:00 p.m.
I usually check in with my mom to chat with her about Stephen. She picks him up two days a week, goes to his games, helps with homework and makes him snacks. Since she moved to Wells Branch, I’m finally getting to know her as a person, not just as my mother.
5:00 p.m.
I usually head off to the racquetball court after work. I fell in love with the sport in college and have been obsessed for 30 years. I continued to play with a cast after I broke my arm on the court. It feels much better now without it. I travel to play in tournaments and have won medals at the Texas Police Games. I hold my own on the court and like to win.
9:00 p.m.
I pick up Stephen at Grandma’s. On the way home, he sings along with the radio dreaming of appearing on American Idol. We open the door and Julia, our gray-striped cat runs down the hall to greet us. Junior Kitty, a Garfield-type cat, is waiting in the center of the living room carpet on his back wanting a belly rub. It’s getting late and we still have to go over homework.
10:00 p.m.
I sit in a chair until Stephen falls asleep. Sometimes, I leave his room before he drifts off but he notices. I go downstairs, shower and put on pjs. I’m a national news addict and fall asleep with the television watching me.