The Kronenwetter Police Department in Wisconsin has achieved a significant milestone this year by hiring the first full-time female officer in its 19-year history, Mariah Guyer.

Guyer previously served for several years on the Stratford Fire Department, and she is now in the final stages of the police academy at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids, with her graduation scheduled for May.

“I’m really excited,” she told WSAW News. “The amount of love and support I’ve gotten through the community means so much to me already, it just shows how great everyone is.”

She further added that being part of a police department that prioritizes community engagement is crucial for her. “Community-oriented and community-first, that was a big thing for me. I really wanted to be part of a police department that is active within their community, not just doing law enforcement stuff, but interactions in schools is just something that really drew me into their department.”

The Kronenwetter Police Department was established in 2004 and currently has an authorized strength of eight full-time officers, three part-time officers, a part-time property room custodian and a full-time police clerk, according to its website.

Kronenwetter Police Chief Terry McHugh noted that adding Guyer to the department would help broaden its capacity to handle cases. “Especially on sensitive crimes, it’s very helpful for the department to have a female officer,” he said.

The community of Kronenwetter, a village of about 8,400 people in the Wausau metropolitan area in central Wisconsin, has expressed its support for Guyer. She was sworn in on March 24 and will begin field training with her new department following her academy graduation in May.