Safer Aim, Safer Streets - Memorial gift honoring Beverly Lyons helps Mansfield Police upgrade safety equipment

A memorial gift in honor of Beverly Lyons will help give Mansfield police officers new equipment aimed at improving safety, accuracy and response in the field.
The donation was initiated by Robert and Dollie Gage, who wanted to do something meaningful in Beverly’s memory. On June 24, 2026, the Gages presented a $700 check at Mansfield City Hall to Beverly’s daughter, Stephanie, to help purchase two red-dot sight units for the Mansfield Police Department.

With Beverly’s husband, Jim Lyons, having served as a police officer and former police chief, supporting the department felt like a fitting way to honor Beverly while also recognizing Jim’s service in local law enforcement.

The City of Mansfield is also purchasing two additional units, bringing the department’s total to four.

Beverly is remembered by those who knew her as a sweet woman and a familiar part of Mansfield life. For those involved, the gift was not just about purchasing equipment. It was about remembering someone loved, honoring a family’s connection to the community and giving something useful back to the officers who serve it.

Mansfield Police Chief Wyatt McIntyre said the department will oversee installation and training for the new sights. He explained that red-dot sights allow officers to acquire targets faster, keep both eyes open, maintain better awareness of their surroundings and improve accuracy, even while moving.

McIntyre also emphasized that the sights will belong to the Mansfield Police Department, not individual officers. As personnel changes occur, the equipment will remain with the department and continue serving Mansfield.

For officers, that can mean better training and a safer response in high-pressure situations.

Officers are expected to receive training to become familiar with the sights and make sure each one is properly adjusted.

In a small town, gifts like this become more than equipment. They are reminders of the people who helped shape the community, the families who continue to serve it and the quiet ways one life can keep making a difference.

For Mansfield officers, that difference will now be seen through a small red dot with a very big purpose.