PHOTO: City of Appleton
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Appleton’s top cop is calling it a career.
Chief Polly Olson is retiring after 26 years with the Appleton Police Department, she announced Tuesday.
“After much reflection, I have made the decision to retire from the Appleton Police Department,” Olson said in a news release. “This has not been an easy decision, because this department and each of you mean so much to me. Serving alongside such dedicated, professional, and compassionate people has been one of the greatest honors of my career.”
Olson was sworn in as the first female chief in the department’s history in 2023.
During her more than three-year tenure, the department credits her with fully staffing the department, creating the Community Resource Unit, including the department’s first Police Community Engagement Coordinator, adding an additional traffic safety officer and patrol officer, and conducting a staffing study to guide long-term resource allocation.
Olson is expected to serve until the city’s Police and Fire Commission hires a new chief, with an anticipated retirement date of Jan. 4, 2027.
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