(Beaver Dam) The journey of a rookie cop must start somewhere. For Officer Megan Ruhland, that journey began with a realization at 14 years old through her interest in hunting and fishing, as well as having mentors in the law enforcement career field. Ruhland says she then started doing police ride-alongs when she was 15-years-old.
“I had my parents sign off and I went with them,” says Ruhland. “I just went to the local police station in Sun Prairie, and I asked them, and they were totally for it.”
Beaver Dam Police Lieutenant Jeremiah Johnson says this is not unusual in Beaver Dam, and it normally happens outside the Citizens Police Academy.
“Usually the SROs [School Resource Officers] have contact with those kids that are interested and then they reach out to us, and we give them ridealongs and stuff like that,” says Johnson.
Johnson adds that while Beaver Dam does not have a cadet program, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office does.
“A lot of the time those kids go into the cadet program,” Johnson. “So, we don’t have cadets, but we are looking to do a community service officer position.”
Other communities have reached out to the lieutenant telling him that a community service officer is a great way to recruit full-time police officers.
Photo caption: Megan Ruhland is pictured on the right, then Lieutenant Jeremiah Johnson, Chief John Kreuziger, and Officer Joseph Salazar
