APPLETON — Appleton’s next police chief will be a first.
The Appleton Police and Fire Commission on Tuesday announced that Assistant Chief of Police Polly Olson will be sworn in as as police chief in early January after the retirement of Chief Todd Thomas.
Olson will be the first woman to hold the position in the city’s history.
In her 21 years serving the Appleton Police Department, Olson has held a variety of positions including patrol officer, school resource officer, lieutenant, patrol captain, captain of investigations and support services and assistant chief.
“I am honored to serve as the first female Chief of Police for the City of Appleton,” Olson said in a news release. “I am excited to continue to build on our foundation of excellence in police service and am committed to strengthening community relationships through our continued neighborhood policing efforts. Thank you to the City of Appleton for allowing me the opportunity to serve in this new capacity.”
