GRAND RAPIDS, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Police Chief Melvin Pedersen has more than 40 years of service. A decade of that time has been spent with the Grand Rapids Police Department. He’s now retiring.
A lot has changed since the 1970s when Pedersen first started his career in Law Enforcement with styles, music and culture changing with what’s popular, but what hasn’t changed is Pedersen’s dedication to service.
“You can make a difference,” Pedersen said.
It was that ability to bring change to the community that inspired his career path in the first place. Chief Pederson began his career 46 years ago in Wisconsin Rapids. Since then he has worked at local, state and federal levels and served in the Marine Corps.
After all that time working, Pedersen says he doesn’t know what he will be doing now that his working career is coming to a close. “I’m excited, a little apprehensive I guess, because like I said, I’ve been doing this a long time, and I don’t know what it is not to have to wake up in the morning and to go to work,” Pedersen said.
In his final month of work, Pederson wants to say thank you to the community and everyone for working with him. “Thank you for having the confidence when you brought me in over 10 years ago to do this position,” Pedersen said. “Thank you for allowing me to be your police chief for the last ten years“
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