Tamika Mays, SCPD's new detective sergeant, will lead a team of six in the Special Victims Section

Throughout her law enforcement career, Tamika Mays has drawn inspiration from her father, a former detective for the Suffolk County Police Department.

After majoring in economic crime investigation from Utica College of Syracuse University, she joined the NYPD as a police officer in 2001. Nine years later, she followed in her father's footsteps, joining the Suffolk police force.

On June 14, after more than a decade of serving as a patrol officer, detective and a sergeant for Suffolk police, Mays, 45, was promoted to detective sergeant, becoming the first Black woman to hold the title. She will supervise a team of six detectives in the Special Victims Section, which investigates crimes against children, sexual offenses and domestic violence.

Mays, who joins 58 other detective sergeants in the department, said she will tap into investigative and supervisory skills she has acquired over the years. She recalled one case she investigated as a detective when her team earned the trust of a rape victim; her cooperation eventually helped resolve the case, with the suspect being sentenced to a minimum 18 years in prison.

Lawrence Leake said he's proud to have been an inspiration to his daughter, who grew up in Huntington, and is a mother of three whose ages range from 5 to 18. Her 7-year-old son aspires to follow in her footsteps, she said.

“Getting to the rank of detective sergeant is very hard," Leake said. "There aren't that many spots, so you have to work really hard and remain dedicated.” 

For now, Mays said she is focusing on two things: “To bring justice to victims who have endured unspeakable crimes,” and to ensure that the detectives on her team have the tools to assist those victims.

Det. Sgt. Jeff Walker, president of Suffolk County Guardians, said Mays is profoundly qualified and what's really remarkable about her promotion is the skill set she brings to the position having been a detective and a sergeant. The Guardians is a fraternal organization of police officers of color. 

“The fact that we’re talking about a Black female just now attaining that rank is more of a question of why this hasn’t happened in the past," he said.

To become a detective sergeant, officers must first pass a Civil Service exam to become a sergeant. Sergeants who apply for a promotion then undergo an interview process before they get the job, department officials said.

Suffolk police has 2,561 officers, and only seven of them are Black women, according to the department. 

The department remains under a consent decree handed down by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1986, which aimed, in part, to correct racial disparities in hiring: 73.92% of the force are white males and 9.37% white females, the department said. 

Tracey Edwards, Long Island regional director for the NAACP, said Mays' promotion shows that Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison is putting action behind his words that the department can be inclusive. But he can’t do it alone, she said.

“There are less than 10 Black women on the 2,500-plus police force, so while we applaud this individual accomplishment, the data proves that the U.S. Justice Department and Suffolk County government need to do much more,” Edwards said.

Mays is also president of the Suffolk County Police LGBTQ Society, an organization she helped to create.

The group, according to its website, helps "strengthen relationships between the police department and Suffolk County's vibrant LGBTQ+ communities."

Mays said the group also helps with recruitment. 

Even as Mays is settling into her new role, she said she has higher aspirations: to be chief of detectives one day.

“If you work hard and aim high, the sky is the limit,” she said. “I am proof of that.”