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Rider also served as a
sexual assault investigation consultant for the State of
Ohio Attorney General’s office, and was a former instructor
in Workforce and Community Services at Owens Community
College where she trained businesses on work-related issues
involving legal updates, domestic violence and report
writing.
Her voluntary work
includes being a requested speaker for many groups,
including speaking to young girls and women; serving as a
supervisory committee member since 2013 for the Toledo
Police Federal Credit Union, and her most recent appointment
by Ohio Governor John Kasich as a member of Owens Community
College’s Board of Trustees. Rider holds a BA in Criminal
Justice/Safety Studies from Lourdes University, where she
also obtained her Master of Organizational Leadership in
Criminal Justice/Organizational Leadership.
She has been honored over
the years with a Meritorious Service Medal and Professional
Service Award from TPD, and a Criminal Justice Student
Excellence Award from Lourdes University. Rider is certified
as an Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, Online Faculty
Training (Tiffin University), and in Law Enforcement
Automated Data System (LEADS).
Still in her 40s, Rider
says she is excited to enter the next chapter in her life.
Because family and close friends are so important to Rider,
we asked a few people closest to her to provide reflections
on newly retired Detective Rider and her career. Here’s what
they shared:
Rider’s husband, Toledo
Police Lieutenant Waylond Rider, said the two met
while serving on the force. He is happy that his wife has
retired from the Toledo Police Department as a young and
healthy person.
“It’s going to be so
rewarding for her. She can retire confidently saying, ‘I
loved my work, I loved my co-workers, I loved what I did
even though the cases were demanding.’ She can now reflect
on her time spent on the force and say, ‘Oh my God, I
accomplished something that was meaningful.’ I am so proud
of her,” said Lt. Rider.
Close girlfriend
Deborah Porter, who recently moved from Maumee, and now
resides with her husband Clif just outside Washington, D.C.,
is part of a special group of friends that cheer Rider on
daily via social media, and in every aspect of her life and
career.
“If you are blessed to
have Tonya Rider as a friend, then you know there is nothing
she would not do for you. Our group of friends,
affectionately known as The Conversation, know this well,”
said Porter, who like Rider, also majored in Criminal
Justice. “Our lives intersected some four years ago and have
been richer because of it. And, I think we would all agree
that Tonya continues to be the caring, loving, sensitive
heart of our group. Her heartfelt cards, calls, and
thoughtful gifts are just a small part of how she expresses
her love for those close to her.”
Porter added, “The City of
Toledo will forever be indebted to this quiet and unsung
SHEro.”
“I remember when Tonya
joined the police department. Initially I thought, ‘Tonya is
really going to do this.’ I am so proud of her numerous
accomplishments and her service over the years,” said
Rhonda Foster, a cousin and self-described professional
colleague of Rider’s. Foster, who is a leader in the
healthcare field, is a former Toledoan, who now works and
resides in California.
Rider’s father, Robert
Wiggins, a retired stationary engineer for Toledo
Edison, where he worked for 32 years, reflects on his
daughter’s initial plans to join the force some 25 years
ago. Wiggins recalled that while growing up, Tonya was
always by his side, his little girl with the small frame, so
her determination to enter law enforcement understandably
caught him a bit off-guard.
“I asked her, ‘Is this
what you really want to do?,’ he recalled. “She told
me that it was what she wanted to do, and I told her that
I’m going to pray for you. She ended up graduating as one of
the top in her class.”
Wiggins is relieved that
much of the stress associated with being a detective will
now cease for his daughter, but he is assured that whatever
comes next in her life, his daughter will conquer.
“She is very
compassionate. I am very happy for her to be able to retire.
She is still young and can start a whole new career,” said
Wiggins, who hopes that the special cards and notes that
Rider sends his way, will always continue.
Longtime friend Harold
Mosley, a law enforcement officer who retired in 2013 as
the Sergeant-at-Arms for Toledo City Council, said he met
Rider, whom he affectionately nicknamed ‘SweetT,’ when she
joined the force and he and his wife, and the Riders quickly
became good friends.
“I am very proud of my
friend. She always had compassion for her victims, and has
left a long-lasting mark in her department. She always had
the education, the drive, and the knowledge,” said Mosley.
“I think she might be a professor in her next chapter.”
Rider’s mother, Sandra
Osby, said she is overjoyed that her daughter will be
able to fulfill whatever her heart desires in the next phase
of her life post-retirement.
“Every day will be like
Sunday, no alarm clocks, no more meetings. Now she’ll have
time to do all the things she wanted to do. She deserves it!
She’s worked hard – I’ve seen it firsthand. I know she’ll be
leaving behind a beautiful legacy for the next generation,”
said Osby, who added a personal note to her daughter Tonya:
“You loved your job and
you did it well.”
These are the sentiments
of the entire community. Job well done Detective Tonya
Rider!
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