Community Engagement Officer Jaime Leauber leads a busy life. In addition to holding down her full time job with the Lehigh University Police she also puts in hours at her mother’s restaurant and serves on law enforcement task forces regionally. It’s a packed schedule, and she loves it.
Jaime recently received a Lehigh Spot Bonus Award for creating Avenues, an innovative new program to provide young women with exposure to careers in law enforcement. Her own career journey demonstrated the need for Avenues and prepared her to play a lead role in Lehigh’s efforts to improve the experience of women in policing.
A Winding Path
Even though her father and grandfather were police officers, Jaime hadn’t been encouraged to see herself in the profession. “Nobody ever talked to me about it. I was working for my family's restaurant and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life,” she recalled. “But then I met a police officer who came into the restaurant, and he said ‘You should be a cop.’”
That chance encounter with a customer opened Jaime to the possibility and she realized policing could be a career for her. “Not long after that, I applied to the Allentown Police Academy and paid my own way.”
In 2017, after taking a part-time deputy sheriff job with Lehigh County, Jaime also joined the Lehigh University force part time. Even when her deputy sheriff position became full time, Jaime kept her part-time job at Lehigh. She was also still waitressing in downtown Bethlehem.
“There were times when I would change out of my uniform and into my waitressing outfit in the bathroom of the restaurant,” she recalled. “They’re two really different roles and yet there are similarities because both are really about how you handle people.”
Eventually Jaime was offered a full-time patrol position at Lehigh and she moved into that role. Working at Lehigh was going well, but she realized she had a yearning to follow in her father’s footsteps. “My dad was an undercover vice cop in Allentown. He was a sergeant,” she explained. “I wanted to work undercover, too.”
An opportunity to become a detective in the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office opened up, and they reached out to her. She had landed her dream job. She said goodbye to her LUPD colleagues. Chief Jason Schiffer assured her she was always welcome back.
Jaime loved the new job. Undercover investigative work was “awesome.” But the hours were “terrible.” She and her husband were working opposite shifts and she never saw her family. After a year, she made the difficult decision to look for a position that would provide her with a more sustainable lifestyle.
Back at Lehigh, Chief Schiffer was looking for a new community engagement officer. When Jaime called him to ask him to serve as a reference in her job search, he told her he might have just the role for her.
That’s when Jaime learned that Lehigh had made a commitment to the 30x30 Initiative. 30x30 is an national initiative to advance the representation of women in all ranks of policing across the United States. Women currently make up only 12 percent of sworn police officers nationally. The goal of 30x30 is to increase that figure to 30 percent by 2030.
Beyond increasing the number of women in law enforcement, however, 30x30 is also focused on improving the experience of women in these roles. Jason says this starts with the recognition of the historical harassment and discrimination women have faced in the profession, which has been dominated by men since its inception. He set about creating better conditions for LUPD’s women officers, including enlarging and enhancing the women’s locker room.
A Sleepless Night
After re-joining the LUPD force, Jaime came up with the idea for Avenues during a sleepless night as she thought about how she could contribute to the success of 30x30. She wanted to create a program that offered young women experiences in law enforcement settings that she hadn’t had access to.
Jaime reached out to her contacts in law enforcement agencies across the Lehigh Valley and developed a plan. When she proposed the program to Jason and others in the department, they saw the possibilities and gave her the green light. Jason said they kept their expectations for the first year of the program modest.
“We acknowledged from the beginning that it was possible the entire class would come through and decide it wasn’t for them, but I thought it would still be a huge win,” Jason said. “I knew they would all learn something. They might learn what they don't want to do, which is just as valuable.”
Avenues debuted in the summer of 2023, providing ten high school students the chance to spend a week in a variety of law enforcement settings. Students got to learn not only from LUPD, but also from representatives of the Lehigh Sheriff’s Department, the Lehigh Valley Airport Authority, and the Coroner’s Office. They visited Lehigh County Corrections, the State Police Academy, and the local Homeland Security Office. Jaime introduced the students to her partner on the Lehigh County Drug Task Force as well.
Working with her former employer, Apollo Grill, Jaime arranged a dine and donate event that raised funds for the program so that the attendees didn’t have to pay for anything. She was able raise enough to pay for uniforms for the participants.
At the end of the program, the girls celebrated with a donated lunch from Mission Barbecue and received certificates. Jaime said their parents gave her positive feedback and thanked her for helping them guide their daughters’ toward a potential career. She has stayed in touch with the students, including writing a college recommendation for one girl, and hopes that as the program develops she can incorporate a mentoring component as well.
This year, Avenues will take place in mid-July and feature more hands-on experience through mock scenarios that Jaime hopes will further inspire the girls’ interest in a law enforcement career. That’s just one of the ideas she has to continue growing Avenues and making the road easier for women who come after her.
“I just keep going with ideas, and Jason trusts me and believes in me enough to execute them,” Jaime said. “That’s why I love what I do. I'm becoming the best version of myself because I have support from Jason and Kyle and the people that I work with.”
Staff Recognition Opportunities at Lehigh
Jaime was recognized by her supervisor for taking initiative and executing a program that was beyond the expectations of her role. Spot Bonus Awards must be the result of a supervisor’s nomination. If you are a supervisor and wish to nominate an an employee, visit the HR website for more information.
Even if you aren’t a supervisor, you can still show your appreciation to a colleague by nominating them for a Tradition of Excellence Award (TEA). Both TEAs and Spot Bonus Awards include a financial award.
Finally, Lehigh’s highest honors, the Lehigh University Awards, are presented at the Staff Appreciation Dinner which this year will take place on May 1. The nominating period was recently extended to March 8 for this year’s awards.