SILVERHILL, Ala. — Law enforcement officers and elected officials, including Alabama’s “top cop” were on hand Tuesday to honor Silverhill Police Chief Kim Wasdin in the fellowship hall of Zion Lutheran Church.

The reception, which drew nearly 100, was originally scheduled to honor all women in law enforcement, but singled out Wasdin after she was appointed Baldwin County’s first-ever female police chief on Oct. 3.

“There might be some challenges as a female that will be a little more difficult to face,” Wasdin said, “but we shall overcome.”

Wasdin said when she was asked to give a speech, she was awake until 2:30 in the morning before deciding to sit down and write one.

“I’m going to tell it like it is, then tell on myself,” she said. “Being a law enforcement officer in this day and age, you have to be part social worker, part priest and part counselor.

“A good day on the job is one that you don’t get threatened with a lawsuit. The hours are terrible and the pay can be worse. The divorce rate for law enforcement officers is among the highest in the nation. So why do we do it? We do it because we love it.”

Wasdin thanked her family for their support, her fellow officers and city officials in Silverhill for their support.

After telling a story about her first day on the job, she said, “The road has been full of twists and turns from that day to this and when I go to bed at night, I don’t worry so much about me, but about the thousands of my fellow officers who risk their lives every day to serve people.”

Officers from Mobile and Baldwin counties filled the church hall, including State Attorney General Troy King, on hand to congratulate Wasdin on her appointment.

“I saw a sign on the way in that said Silverhill was founded in 1896, 111 years ago,” he said. “I only have one question … what took you so long?

“From everything I’ve heard, you couldn’t have picked a better person. I know she will lead by example and she may be the first, but I guarantee she won’t be the last.”

King said when he talked to Wasdin, she said the day was not about her and he agreed.

“It’s never just about the person who puts on the badge, but it’s about the families who have to put up with everything from missed ballgames to just the worry that comes along with this dangerous profession,” King said. “I’ve been to too many funerals of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. I’ve seen what gets left behind to know that this is truly a group effort.”

King said the day was also about honoring heroes.

“I am blessed that I don’t have to pretend to know heroes, but I do know the real thing,” he said. “Not the make-believe heroes you see on television or in the movies, but real heroes who risk their lives every day to serve the public. This room is full of heroes.”