Carolyn Frayser, Mississippi’s first female municipal police chief, dies at 78
Carolyn Frayser, the first female municipal chief of police in Mississippi and a longtime Ocean Springs official, died May 26, 2026, at age 78, a Facebook post announcing her passing said.
According to the post, Frayser began her law enforcement career as a dispatcher for the Ocean Springs Police Department and rose through the ranks to become the department’s first female patrol officer and first female captain. In 1989 she was named municipal chief of police, the post said, making her the first woman to hold that position in the state.
After retiring from the police department, Frayser continued to serve the city as its first human resources risk manager, the post said. The announcement described her as a pioneer who broke barriers and helped pave the way for future generations of women in law enforcement in Ocean Springs and across Mississippi.
A celebration of life will be held June 20, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Senior Citizens Center, 514 Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The post asked that friends, family and former colleagues keep her loved ones in their thoughts and prayers. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
