People
Those who keep us safe: Clay Griffin
Officer Clay Griffin has been with the Vicksburg Police Department for over three decades, and in that time has been diagnosed and defeated cancer three times.
Griffin handles day-to-day operations for the Warrants Division. He is also a court bailiff and prison transporter. Griffin has been assigned the task to serve court papers, as well.
He has always had a passion to be in law enforcement. Following two ride-alongs, Griffin started his career in 1987.
“In my early 20s and in the ’80s you could do ride-alongs, and I did my first ride-along with Constable Glenn McKay,” Griffin said. “He let me see what it was like in the field. Then I did a ride-along with [the late] Paul Jabour. We went on several calls together and after that, I was hooked.”
Griffin, 57, is married and he and his wife share three children and seven grandchildren.
“Family is humongous to me,” he said.
Griffin found out just how vital family truly is when he was diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2011. After treatment, he chose to retire from the police department in 2015.
Law enforcement, at this point, had rooted in his blood, and he could not stay away from the department long. After many doctors appointments and cancer scans, doctors cleared him to return to work in 2016.
Griffin remained cancer free for five years. As he made his return to work, his cancer made a return to his body.
“I went through chemo for the second time and beat it again for the second time,” he said.
In 2018, Griffin’s cancer returned for the third time, and once again the love he shared with his family, the Lord, and his job pulled him through. He has now been in remission for about a year.
Even with the difficulties of three cancer diagnoses, Griffin has remained committed to his job with the police department.
“I never missed a day of work,” Griffin said. “I would take off a few hours for chemo and come back. I never had to miss a day.”
Doctors were clear for Griffin to try to keep his life as normal as possible and to never give up hope.
“If you let yourself get down, then you lose all hope,” He said. “Then once you’re down and depressed, then your body becomes weak, so I had to remain strong and keep my body strong if I wanted to beat this.”
When asked what has kept him going for 33 years and three cancer diagnosis, he had one simple answer.
“My faith and belief in the Lord pulls me through,” Griffin said, adding, “I love to protect and serve the citizens of Vicksburg and change people’s lives in the process.”
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