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Female officers make up approximately 14 percent of law enforcement across the United States, a figure Ashlyn Mercier cited when explaining why she chose to compete in Miss America alongside her work as a Westborough, Massachusetts police officer.
Mercier, the first officer ever named Miss Massachusetts, takes the stage at the Miss America final on September 6 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
She took a year away from pageant competition in 2025 to attend the police academy, following her father into law enforcement.
She told Fox News Digital she was uncertain at the time whether she would return, worried about others' reactions to someone pursuing both paths. "I've got to focus on myself," she said.
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