APPLETON (NBC 26) — One woman is making history in the Appleton Police Department, becoming the first ever female assistant chief.
The police department said Assistant Chief Polly Olson is now the highest-ranking woman in the department.
“As a female I’ve had the same opportunities that my male counterparts have had here," Olson said. "To be able to rise to the rank of assistant chief, for me, I certainly take a lot of pride in that."
Born and raised in Appleton, Olson said she graduated from college with a degree in biology. She said policing was a second career, one she loved with every day different from the last.
Olson has now served with APD for more than 20 years. She said she started her career in patrol, like most people do. From there she worked as a school resource officer at a variety of schools within the Appleton Area School District. Olson said she then did a short stint as a sex offender registry specialist. Around 2013 she worked as a patrol lieutenant on the night shift and later supervised the investigative services unit, roles she revisited when she was promoted to captain a few years later.
“Seeing somebody grow up in our department that’s worked so hard to get to where she is, it’s really admirable to watch," said Sgt. Meghan Cash, support services specialist and PIO with the Appleton Police Department. "It just makes you very proud to be a female that works here with Appleton Police Department.”
Appleton Police said in a statement on Facebook that Olson will be responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations within the police organization overseeing the department's 140 employees.
Olson was sworn-in as Assistant Chief a few days ago. She said she's ready to pave the way for some positive change.
“Taking a look at the past year certainly has forced us to reevaluate a lot of different ways that we handle our business. So I feel like I’m at a very good and unique position that I can do that," Olson said. "Take a look at maybe how we handled things 10 years ago: Maybe (it wasn't) really the best way to handle things with the current climate moving forward. There are better ways and more efficient ways we can serve the community. I’m really excited about the opportunity to look at what some of those opportunities are."
The Appleton Police Department currently has 113 officers serving the community. Just about 11 percent of them are women.
In addition to being visible and approachable to the community, Olson hopes to be an inspiration to other women and young girls eyeing a career in law enforcement.
“I hope I can be an example to other women that actually look to getting a job in public safety to know that really there is no limit to what you can accomplish," Olson said.
APD is working on an "All Day Women's Academy" to introduce teens and young women to the different sectors of public safety. It'll be aimed at people between the ages of 15 and 20 and led by women in the field.
The department also has several employment opportunities available, which will be open for a few more weeks.
