St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith and Captain Sennet Wiggins, SRT commander for the SMPSO, announced the addition of Deputy Taylor Hebert to the St. Mary Parish Special Response Team.
The Special Response Team is comprised of 15-20 members who train monthly.
Hebert is the first female in recent history who will hold an "operator" position on the team, according to SMPSO.
Operators participate in high-risk apprehensions, high-risk warrant service, barricaded subject response, active shooter events, high-risk security operations, and search and rescue missions.
In a mostly male-dominated role on SRT, Hebert "proved herself in physical and skill assessments" to earn her spot on the team.
Hebert is a 2014 graduate of Centerville High School and served for three years with the U.S. Army National Guard.
She is a graduate of the St. Mary Parish Regional Law Enforcement Academy, Session 59.
Captain Wiggins said Hebert would stay after "long, punishing days" in the academy to work on her own.
"Taylor has that one quality we look for in any candidate: the will to work hard," said Wiggins.
"When she applied for the SRT position, I knew we'd be ordering her some gear very soon."
Sheriff Blaise Smith said there should be "equal opportunity for women in all roles of law enforcement."
Smith described Hebert's work as "impressive" and "solid."
Smith added, "She has definitely earned this position and I am very proud of her accomplishment."
