Nicole Hamilton is one of the newest faces at the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO). She graduated from the Sacramento Police Academy in Dec. 2023 and jumpstarted her career as an NCSO deputy a few days later.
Hamilton didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a sheriff’s deputy, but one chance article changed her perspective on life.
“I was working in sales at the time, and although I loved my job, I found myself wanting more,” recalled Hamilton. “I have always been passionate about helping and serving others and desired to be a part of something that was bigger than myself. I stumbled across an article about a woman in Southern California who left her desk job at age 29 to pursue a career in law enforcement and felt inspired.”
While Hamilton didn’t quit her day job overnight, the inspiration she felt never wavered. When she began sharing her thoughts about pursuing a career in law enforcement, she was met only with support from her friends and family.
“Over the next few years, the thought of becoming a deputy continued to linger in the back of my mind,” she said. “I knew it was going to be a challenging career, but I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life. I didn’t want to live the remainder of my life wondering ‘what if,’ so I decided to go for it.”
And go for it she did. To become a sheriff’s deputy, there are several physical and mental prerequisites and extensive training requirements. She, along with dozens more, responded to academy tryouts hosted by NCSO back in Feb. 2022. The agility testing alone includes several components, including scaling a six-foot wall in mere seconds with no support of any kind.
“As Captain Walsh would say, the six-foot solid wall was my nemesis,” she recalled.
Deputy recruits are given only two chances per agility test to meet the minimum mandates of Peace Officer Standards and Training and then they’re out. Those who fall short are always encouraged and invited to return to future academy tryouts, but most give up if they fail their first time. When Hamilton fell short of scaling the wall, giving up was never an option. The wall was just a temporary roadblock.
When NCSO academy tryouts reopened in Sept. 2022, she tried again. Her second attempts at the wall also fell short but instead of accepting she had done her best she realized her best was yet to come. She upped her strength training and was ready by March 2023, confident she was going to fly over that wall in seconds.
“It wasn’t until my third attempt (and many gym sessions later) that I finally scaled the six-foot wall in a time fast enough to push me through to the academy,” she said. “I would encourage any woman who dreams of pursuing a career in law enforcement to go for it! Stay focused, remain dedicated to your goals, and never hesitate to seek support and guidance along the way.”
Once at the Sacramento Police Academy in summer 2023, Hamilton’s resolve made her standout among her mostly male peers and training officers, so much so, that by the time graduation rolled around in December, she was the selected recipient of the Natalie Corona Award.
The award is named after Officer Natalie Corona who proudly served with the Davis Police Department before she was tragically murdered on Jan. 10, 2019. Like Hamilton, Officer Corona also went through the Sacramento Police Academy and was a standout among her peers. Officer Corona displayed an unwavering determination to succeed, dedication to continual improvement, and a commitment to the ideals and values of public service. Academy staff hand-selects the recipient of the Natalie Corona Award each year, looking for the individual who most embodies all the exemplary characteristics, traits, and values of Officer Corona. The award is then presented to the selected candidate by Corona’s surviving parents.
“I was very shocked and extremely honored to receive the Natalie Corona Award,” said Hamilton. “I was humbled that the academy staff saw some of Natalie’s tenacity in me. Natalie Corona embodied grace, grit, and determination during her time at the police academy and throughout her service as a police officer. I will continue to honor her name and the sacrifices she made by giving my best every day.”
Fast forward into March, Deputy Hamilton is now three months into her career with NCSO and continues to give her best day in and day out. She is part of the patrol team who responds to 911 calls, non-emergency calls for service, unknown situations, and suspicious circumstances, putting her own safety at risk to protect others. No two days are ever alike for sheriff’s deputies, and some days are harder than others, but for Deputy Hamilton, this is a commitment she’s proud to make.
What started as just a thought, became a dream, and then reality because of the hard work she put in and her dedication and commitment to never give up.
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Ashley Quadros is a local writer and a public information officer with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. She can be reached for comment at SheriffPIO@nevadacountyca.gov.
