(This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 ECHO Magazine.)

Former Philadelphia Police Officer and Detective Serves and Supports Others by Sharing Christ’s Truth

Catherine Easley (’28) has served as a police officer, detective and, now, as a call operator for the Fraternal Order of the Police in Philadelphia. Over her years of serving the community, Catherine has learned how to use her words to serve others.

After a career in law enforcement, Catherine Easley (’28) now supports others who serve. / Photos by Seth Bradley, Philadelphia Picture Company

In 1980, Catherine started working with the city of Philadelphia in the District Attorney’s office through the Comprehensive Employment Training Act. After working in the sanitation department for over three years, Catherine transitioned to a position as a clerical assistant. At the time, she “wasn’t even thinking about becoming a police officer,” but she had the opportunity to attend the police academy in 1990. Upon graduating, she was assigned to the fourth district of Philadelphia.

Catherine served as a police officer for eight years and then worked as a detective for seven years, specializing in domestic violence cases. By sharing her own experiences, she helped women feel comfortable reporting their experiences as well.

Since retiring from the police force, she has worked as a safety officer for various school districts, hospitals and medical centers. Catherine shares that, during this time, she struggled to control her tongue but that through reading 1 Peter 2, “I learned to keep my mouth shut and do it His way. In Ephesians 4, it says to let ‘no wholesome words come out of your mouth.’ In your communication with others, you should be trying to help them.”

Also during this time, Easley volunteered as a phone operator for COPLINE, which provides a safe space for law enforcement officers to call and share what they are going through without judgment.

Through the training for this position, Catherine says she “unlearned fixing people” and that she had to be a “hearer and listen where they are and meet them right where they are” in their struggles.

While working as a safety officer, Catherine received a call from the Fraternal Order of the Police President, who asked her to again work for the Police Department in a role where she contacted retired Philadelphia law enforcement officers to “inform them of new updates about their pensions, the website and Social Security.”

Catherine reflects that through her various roles over the years, “I learned not to ram the Word of God down people’s throats without first acknowledging their pain.” She also emphasizes the importance of listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit’s leading. “You have to get the timing right and show them you love and care about them. If you are trying to be pious and holier than thou, they won’t listen.”

In 2024, Catherine was awarded the Kathy McNeil Battle community service scholarship from the Guardian Civic League of Philadelphia that enabled her to attend Lancaster Bible College to study Business Administration. Outside her job, Catherine shares how much her education at LBC has fostered her spiritual growth. “I went to LBC, and the challenge was, ‘How are you going to live your life?’ I had to face myself … I was convicted through studying and reading the lessons. In eight weeks, I don’t want to just get a grade; I want it to change my life.”

Catherine notes the difference in the support she received from LBC, specifically in LBC’s Pathway Program, which gave her “what other schools don’t offer.”

“The Pathway Program,” she continues, “showed I could maintain good grades, and then I was accepted into the college, whereas other schools wouldn’t offer that opportunity. If I was to go to community college, I would be exposed to different philosophies. Attending LBC, you know you are getting into biblical backgrounds, even in math class.”

Catherine also shares that her LBC courses have been both challenging and enriching. “It makes you think theologically. [You] have to get into the Word of God to learn it for yourself, and with that, I gained the courage to talk to people and address their objections. I am able to hold my ground in the Word of God. That is what LBC gives you, a foundation to stand firmly on the Word of God.”

Also an event volunteer with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and as a greeter and part of the security team at her church, Catherine  aims to help those in her immediate community. “I make it a point of calling my friends and checking on them. I ask them, ‘What are you doing? How are you doing?’ And I listen. I invest in my family and my friends.”

Once she completes her degree at LBC, Catherine plans to help her son with his business and walk alongside other family members in their business endeavors. Her goal is to “go back to my alma mater high school to volunteer and help students who struggle with their grades and fall by the wayside. I didn’t think I was college material even though my parents wanted me to go. Now I just want to share with young people that they can do it.”