Mattie Richardson certainly left a mark within the local community with her kind spirit, her positive attitude and professional confidence. Joining the Yazoo City Police Department in 1976, she was hired as the department’s first policewoman. For decades, she served her community, particularly its youth, with respect and dignity. The community mourns her passing with reflections of her commitment and service to Yazoo City.
“It’s not a job that I aspired to be as a child, but it’s one that I have thoroughly enjoyed since I entered the world of police work,” she said, in a 1980 interview with The Herald. “I consider myself a ‘liberated’ woman. I feel that a positive attitude, along with confidence in myself generates respect among one’s fellow workers, regardless of sex.”
A graduate of St. Francis High School and a native of Yazoo City, Richardson worked as a cashier in Miller-Rexall Drug Store before joining the local police department. Although she was not the first woman to be hired by the department, she was the first to work on patrol, handling general traffic assignments. And she was one of the first faces many of the local children saw as she performed cross-traffic duties, assisting school children across the streets.
“Knowing that a child has been guided safely across the street is very rewarding,” she said. “The smiles and manners displayed are remarkable.”
Richardson was also a familiar face in the downtown area, enforcing parking ordinances and often checking in with local merchants. But she was always looking for ways to improve her skills and hoped to rise in the ranks at the local department.
“I’m seeking upward mobility in my profession, one step at a time,” she said. “Presently, my interests lie in criminology, and I am planning to pursue related courses at Jackson State University.”
When Richardson first heard about an opening at the police department in the 1970s, she approached the position as a challenge. But it was a path she wanted to place into motion, applying for the post.
“When I heard about the opening in the Yazoo City Police Department, I saw it as a challenge, as well as an opportunity for an exciting career,” she said.
There were other females within the department, serving often as dispatchers. But it was Richardson who was the first to be placed on patrol. Speaking on the possibility of hiring more female officers, she said “the more the merrier.”
Richardson was often quoted as saying that helping school children in the morning and afternoon shifts was the most rewarding aspect of her job. The biggest challenge for her was issuing citations for parking violations. But it was a job she did well.
“My job is both a challenge and a pleasure because while I perform my tedious duties, I also get the opportunity to meet people from many walks of life,” she said.
In a 2001 article with The Herald, Richardson was credited with marking about 375,000 vehicles with yellow chalk. Assisting by two other police officers, another memorable moment was when she assisted in the arrest of two men, dressed as females to hide their identities, who stole meat packages from Jitney Jungle on Grand Avenue.
When Richardson was not working, she enjoyed preparing gourmet dishes, shopping, dancing and “playing one-armed bandits,” according to a 1994 profile.
