APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Appleton’s police chief says he’s retiring after leading the department for the last seven years.
Chief Todd Thomas says he will retire in January of 2023.
The advanced notice will give Police and Fire Commission the time to do a thorough search for the right candidate, Thomas wrote in a statement Friday.
“The timing is likewise helpful for the department, as we will see some additional retirements within members of our command staff in the coming years, as well as contract negotiations in 2023. I believe the next chief should be part of those contract discussions and should select their command staff,” Thomas wrote.
He ended his statement with:
Our APD family, and our community, have been through a lot together. Some horrific and challenging times, and some exhilarating times. We have faced obstacles none of us could have predicted, and the last 7 years have shown me how professional, dedicated, and resilient the APD family is.
Thomas, an Appleton native, was hired as police chief in 2014.
Before that, he served as Captain of the Investigations Division for the Green Bay Police Department and was there for 14 years. He also served as a community service officer with the Appleton Police Department from 1985 to 1986 while he attended Fox Valley Technical College.
