Sgt. Karla Taulbee will soon become the post commander of the Portsmouth Post of the Ohio highway Patrol. Lt. Mike Crispen is being transferred to the Chillicothe Post.
“I’m honored,” Taulbee said. “I knew I was the first female Post Commander for the Portsmouth Post. I didn’t realize I was going to be the first female for our whole district. That’s a big honor for me. I don’t think about it that way, though, being a female sergeant or female trooper. I’m just a sergeant with the Patrol.”
Taulbee was asked how she learned she had received the promotion.
“I was actually on my way to Jackson Walmart with my grandson to get him a booster seat, and Lieutenant Crispen called me on my cellphone,” Taulbee said. “I wasn’t expecting a phone call that early in the morning, but he called me and said, ‘You know that position we’ve been talking about? Do you think you still want it?’ And I said, ‘I guess I will.’”
Taulbee will be with the OSHP 14 years in February.
Taulbee came to Portsmouth out of the 128th Cadet Class. She then went to work in investigations in Jackson, where a-year-and-a-half later she was promoted to Sergeant, and returned to Portsmouth.
Taulbee was asked if she had expected to be named Post Commander.
“I had wanted it, but I wasn’t expecting it,” Taulbee said. “I worked for it. I worked hard here, and I just keep trying to better myself. I just spent some time at the Public Information office for four months in Columbus to learn that rope. And I went to a leadership class for three months at Northwestern. I’ve tried hard to get to this position. It is what I wanted.”
Taulbee took the time to talk about the Commander she has worked under the last several years.
“Lieutenant Crispen has been great, and I have worked for some great lieutenants,” Taulbee said. “He has been showing me the ropes along the way. ‘This is what it takes to go to that next level, Karla. This is what you need to be thinking,’ and made me lean more toward leading the whole post and not just my shift. He has been great about that.”
Crispen said the fact that headquarters has named Taulbee Commander says a lot in and of itself.
“It’s not an easy task. It’s not easy to get that. You’ve got to have a lot of support, not just locally, but you’ve got to have it all the way to Columbus,” Crispen said. “In order to do that you have to do a lot of things in your career that convinces people that you are capable of doing the job.”
Crispen leaves the Post at the end of the month, putting him closer to his home.
Taulbee said she feels she has a good working relationship with the other area law enforcement agencies.
“I feel I have a good relationship,” Taulbee said. “I know them, a lot of the officers, we grew up together in the law enforcement family here.”
Taulbee says her number one supporters are her husband Tim Taulbee, her sons, her daughter-in-law, and her grandchildren.
“They’re very happy,” Taulbee said. “My husband Tim is great. I had to have his support for me to be gone to training. He’s great.”
Taulbee said her goal is to continue the work started by Crispen in cutting down the number of traffic deaths, and dealing with the prescription drug problems.
Taulbee is a graduate of Minford High School.
Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101 Ext. 232 or flewis@heartlandpublications.com
The mom in me wants to know how old (what's the height and weight of her grandchild) if hes in a booster. Too many kids put their children in a booster too soon.
Off my soapbox now ;)