Cracking Cases and Eating Cakes with Melissa Thompson

The stereotype of the doughnut-loving cop is well established. Working long shifts at odd hours, police officers haven’t always had a plethora of food options in the early morning or late-night hours of their shifts. Cheap, convenient and providing that very needed sugar rush, doughnuts became the associated snack for cops.

Over time, the stereotype of the doughnut-loving cop has carried over into other types of sweets too. So, by now, we all get the joke: cops love sweets. But how about cops that bake sweets?

Melissa Thompson has worked for the Waco Police Department for over 13 years, but she took on a new adventure last year: BeeSweets. BeeSweets is a home bakery that specializes in delicious desserts creatively designed with a simple purpose: make people happy.

While Melissa was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Waco has always been a part of her since her father was originally from here. Though her father’s job in the Air Force took their family to Los Angeles, Melissa and her family moved back to Waco just before she started high school.

Melissa was studying nursing at MCC when she took a government class that changed her trajectory. The professor for the course was the Chief of Police, and Melissa always found herself intrigued by his stories.

“I kind of fell into law enforcement,” Melissa said. “It seemed interesting, so the chief encouraged me to do a ride-along and I did and I really liked it,” she continued.

After unexpectedly applying, Melissa was hired onto the Waco Police Department at 22 years old, fresh out of college. She spent the first five years of her career on patrol before transferring over to the homicide unit for eight years and is now working in drug enforcement.

“I can’t say I’ve ever been bored in my job. There is always something different,” Melissa said.

With no shortage of excitement in her job, Melissa didn’t exactly need to add a thrilling hobby to her life. Baking has always been a way she could relax, create and share community with others in her time off.

I’ve always enjoyed baking things and can kind of use it as therapy for my full-time job,” Melissa said.

Melissa grew up baking with her mom in the kitchen. After watching, learning and baking alongside her mother, Melissa developed her own unique set of baking skills. She began creating spectacular designs in cakes, dessert egg rolls, waffle cones, puddings, cobblers and more.

In time, these desserts evolved to become more elaborate and delicious, and more and more people started requesting them. So, in June of 2020, Melissa purchased a trailer and launched BeeSweets.

 Melissa likes challenges, and while BeeSweets has been fun for her, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

 “The biggest risk for me was spending the time and the money to get things off the ground. It required a lot of balance,” Melissa said.

 Balance can be tough to find, but if anyone knows how to tackle a tough situation, it’s a cop. After getting to know the ins and outs of Waco working in law enforcement for so long, Melissa is passionate about giving back in the form of sweets!

I hope that when people try my sweet treats and they know I’m a cop, it’ll help change the narrative behind law enforcement,” Melissa said. “Positive interactions with others in our community is important. This is my way of giving back,” she said.

Moving forward, Melissa is excited to continue giving back to the community both by being a cop and baking for others. BeeSweets has exciting things on the horizon, with the hopes of getting a custom-wrapped trailer soon and seeking out programs like Kiva and Incubatex254 through Startup Waco to keep the business progressing.

While they may not be the classic doughnut, Melissa’s innovative treats are here to provide cops, and the community at large, with the sweets they need to get through the day with a smile. Visit BeeSweets’ Facebook page today and get your order in!