Monthly meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month. The location is the Northwest Recreation Center at 2913 Northland Dr, 78757. Enter the front doors, look left, and you will certainly see and hear us!
Visiting begins at 6 pm with our business meeting following at 6:30. Our speaker begins at 7.
Our agenda is typically the following: bring your brown-bag dinner or a snack; we gather at 6 pm & socialize; 6:30-7:00 greetings, introductions, business, outings reports and planning; 7- 8 speaker; 8 – 8:15 adjournment and cleanup.
Our speakers are Austin Police Department officers Tara Dicken , Susana Sanchez, and Lana Toporek who will discuss our safety when traveling alone in campers and on the trails. This is particularly important to women!
Officer Tara Dicken, Senior Police Officer, Austin Police Department
Officer Dicken has been with the Austin Police Department since February 2011. She spent her first seven years working on evening shift patrol in East Austin. During her time on patrol, Tara had the extra duties of training new officers as well as being the Mental Health Officer for her patrol shift. She is now assigned as a member of the Violent Crimes Task Force and has been on this team since its creation.
Prior to her time at APD, Tara spent ten years as a member of the United States Air Force as a recruiter. During her spare time, she is an avid trail runner who has been running in Texas trail races for the last several years. In addition to trail running, Tara enjoys hiking and backpacking around the country. She completed the John Muir Trail in the summer of 2017 and most recently spent two weeks backpacking in Colorado to include Four Pass Loop and Maroon Bells.
Officer Lana Toporek, Senior Police Officer, Austin Police Department
Officer Toporek was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and is a 4th generation Austinite. Lana participated in many activities as a child, but found her true love when she began studying martial arts at age 11. She eventually earned her black belt in Kajukenbo and Hung Gar Kung Fu. For the last nine years, she has studied Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai.
Lana graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004, earning a bachelor’s degree in Asian Culture and Languages. Soon after graduating, she decided to follow in her father and grandfather’s footsteps and become a police officer. She started her career at the UT Police Department, later moving on to the Pflugerville Police Department. She later decided to make the move to the Austin Police Department, where she works today. She worked as a patrol officer and defensive tactics instructor at APD and is looking forward to promoting in the near future.
Lana lives in Austin with her husband William and cat Gremlin. In between Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai, she also enjoys yoga, running, lifting weights, swimming, reading, cooking, and karaoke.
She has spent four years in the police force and has had the opportunity to work in different sectors of the city. This has allowed her the chance to meet different members of the community and see how law enforcement caters to the needs of Austin.
Officer Susana Sanchez, Senior Police Officer, Austin Police Department
Officer Sanchez is the daughter of Colombian immigrants. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in business administration and global studies. Despite having planned out a path working for the federal government, Susana chose a career in local law enforcement and joined the Austin Police Department right after her college graduation.
She has spent four years in the police force and has had the opportunity to work in different sectors of the city. This has allowed her the chance to meet different members of the community and see how law enforcement caters to the needs of Austin.
In her time as a police officer, Susana has seen a growing need to speak up for police officers, specifically females in the force. She hopes to empower future women leaders and to help create strength in the community as a result. She practices Krav Maga in her spare time and believes in teaching women to fight for their safety.
Join us and bring a friend!