MISTY TYLER
Crime Scene Detective with Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department
Misty Tyler is a crime scene detective with the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department. She got involved in the field because she wanted to help people and be a voice for those who can not speak out or are afraid. “After beginning a career in law enforcement and having my first crime scene, I realized that was what I wanted to do. I love to learn, and this gives me that perfect opportunity because the processes and sciences are constantly evolving,” Misty says. “I have always been interested in oddities and the macabre. I believe this, mixed with my interest in knowledge for knowledge’s sake and how the human body works, makes the crime scene aspect so interesting to me.”
Misty has accomplished many goals and overcame many obstacles to get to where she is today. She came from poverty; she had no home, no role model, and only saw crime and violence. “I knew that I wanted to break this cycle. Instead of staying, I left. I would go to school, walk to work, go to wherever I could find to sleep, and start over,” Misty says. “There were people that helped along the way, thankfully, so I wasn’t completely on my own.”
After meeting her birth father at 18, Misty moved to Texarkana to be near her dad, stepmother, and stepsister. They accepted her into the family and pushed her to further her dreams. “My family is truly a blend and definitely unique,” Misty says. “They are my biggest supporters, and we all have our quirks. For instance, Thanksgiving was Viking-themed!”
With that little bit of a push from her family, Misty continued. “I learned to strive, never to give up, even if it is not easy,” Misty says. “Coming from so little, and instead of falling into the vicious cycle that so many do, I am able to walk away and proudly say that I ended it.”
Even though Misty was on her own a lot of the time, she also had so many people help her unexpectedly. Because of this, Misty knew that she wanted to do the same for others. “In this career, I can help others, whether it is helping find a suspect or get a family closure,” Misty says. “I’m honestly just so proud of where I am today. If you had asked anyone in my school, the ‘homeless girl’ probably would not have made it anywhere. However, here I am, doing what I enjoy, with a great team and department beside me, a wonderful family (including those friends who are family) behind me, and I could not be more proud to help the citizens of this great town.”
When she is not at work, Misty enjoys spending time with her rescue dogs, her reptiles, and her little girl, who is named Turtle. “The looks when I tell people about her are priceless!” Misty says. “I am also part of Beyond the Badge of Texarkana to help the families and those in law enforcement. I also recently joined the Miller County Dive Team, with a few others from TAPD. They specialize in search and recovery; I have learned that this is a great asset to our community.”
Misty wants to continue to learn and grow in her profession in the future. “Chief Bennett and TAPD have been wonderful in helping me achieve my dreams in the crime scene. I want to be remembered for never giving up and being the best that I can be. I want to be an asset to the TAPD team, and in doing so, to the TAPD community,” Misty says. “My advice to others is that if it is something that you really want to do, it may not be easy to achieve, but you can do it. You have to put in the time and hard work, A LOT of work, but you can do it if you set your mind to it.”