New Plover police chief aims to implement wellness programs for officers, resume community outreach halted by COVID
PLOVER – When Ryan Fox officially took on the role of police chief in February, he had been preparing for the part for months.
Former Police Chief Dan Ault knew last summer he was going to retire as chief and step into the role of village administrator, so he was able to prepare Fox, then the assistant chief, to move into the position. Fox has been with the Plover Police Department for 22 years and held many positions, including lieutenant and captain before becoming the assistant chief and now the chief.
"That transition phase was so nice," Fox said. "It really helped versus coming in from outside the agency cold."
Fox, 44, who grew up in Wautoma and graduated from Wautoma High School, said he decided to go into a law enforcement career because he didn't want to sit behind a desk all day. He spent time working for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in northern Wisconsin before joining the Plover Police Department. Fox has never thought of leaving the department.
"I grew up in central Wisconsin, I went to college here and met my wife here," Fox said.
Fox likes Plover being about two hours from almost anywhere he wants to go in the state. He likes the school district and the quickly growing community.
Community is important to Fox. He keeps a quote from Sir Robert Peel, considered the father of modern policing, on his wall that states, "The Police are the Public; the Public are the Police. The Police are paid to give full time attention to duties that are incumbent upon every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence."
The Plover Police Department has 21 members, seven more than were there when Fox started. The officers respond to as many calls as larger departments, so they need the community's help to report anything suspicious.
"We can't do this alone; we need their help," Fox said.
When Ault became police chief, Fox talked to him about ideas he had for the department, and Ault put them into practice, Fox said. Things like the body camera program, less lethal stun guns, the police dog program and increased partnerships with the community and schools all became reality under Ault, Fox said.
The Plover Police Department is a team and has a strong family atmosphere, and Fox wants to keep it that way. He encourages anyone with an idea to improve the department to bring it to him. However, he also wants department members with ideas to be willing to take charge of their implementation.
One idea Fox wants to implement himself is a wellness program for the officers. Being a law enforcement officer is a difficult and stressful job, Fox said. He wants to put programs in place that will help the officers stay physically and mentally healthy.
Fox is proud of the department's accomplishments. Officer Jeremy Anderson and his K-9 partner, Karma, just won three awards for their work, Fox said. Karma, a Belgian Malinois, has taken a lot of drugs off the street since starting work last fall.
The International Homicide Investigation Association awarded the Plover Police Department's three detectives an award a few months ago for their work in the Krista Sypher case. A jury convicted Sypher's husband, Jason Sypher, of her death, despite no body being found. A judge sentenced Jason Sypher to life in prison.
The past couple of years has caused the Plover Police Department to stop or change some of its community programs because of COVID, Fox said. Shop with a Cop, which the department does during the holidays every year, changed to department members buying Christmas gifts for families themselves and delivering them to homes. Cops and Bobbers, an event where officers fish with community children, had to be put on hold.
Fox hopes to be able to bring all the community outreach programs back in the near future.
MORE NEWS: Los Victor's will reopen in Stevens Point. Here's what you should know.
Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KMadden715, Instagram at @kmadden715 or Facebook at facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Plover police chief aims to start wellness programs, resume outreach
