It took her longer than she planned, but Jamie Wiseman is realizing her dream come true as Bentley’s newest police officer. Growing up, Wiseman watched her mom (postmaster) and dad (mechanic) don a uniform every morning and work hard for their family, so she thought that’s what she would do. She picked a police officer. In 2021, she attended the Citizens Police Academy in Wichita and began volunteering for events throughout the year. In 2023, she attended the Wichita Police Academy, where she qualified on handguns and shotguns, the tools on her duty belt, and completed the case law, among other items. She considered working in her hometown of Spearville but didn’t want to drive four hours for each shift, so she began emailing local small-town departments. Bentley Police Chief James “Tim” Bryan was the only one who had a position open and was interested in hiring part-time. He said the agency has had female officers in the past. “I felt that the addition of another woman would be a value-add for our small department,” Bryan said. “Her upbringing in a town of comparable size, her living in proximity to Bentley, being a mother, and her passion to serve were all considerations.”
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