The Juneau Police Department welcomed a new officer to its ranks Thursday afternoon.
William Hicks was sworn into duty at the JPD station in Lemon Creek by JPD Chief Ed Mercer in front of a crowd of colleagues, family and city officials.
“It is not the will to win that matters, everyone has that in them, it is the will to prepare to win that matters.” Mercer said during his speech at the opening of the ceremony. “What I mean by that is not just being physically in shape to go out and do the job every day, but having the mental capacity to go out and do the job every day. I’ll tell you that’s probably the most challenging part of the job and I’m confident that Will has just that.”
Mercer welcomed Hicks to the police force, and promised him the support of their colleagues throughout his career. Following Mercer’s speech, Deputy Chief David Campbell read a brief statement providing background information about Hicks.
Officer William Hicks stands as his wife Corey Hicks pins a new officer’s badge to his uniform during a swearing in ceremony for Hicks on Thursday. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Hicks, 53, was born and raised in North Carolina with a love of nature and outdoor activities, which was a significant factor in relocating to Juneau with his wife, Corey, after retiring from their family landscaping business in 2019.
“I think he’s going to do a great job for the police department,” Mercer said. “I know he’ll go on to represent us well.
Mercer concluded by saying Hicks is entering a “very challenging career” as a police officer, and still has to go through the department public safety academy at the end of the month on Feb. 26
On Aug. 2, 2021 Hicks was hired to be a community service officer. Hicks said he has enjoyed his employment as a CSO and now looks forward to further serving the people of Juneau in his new role as a police officer.
“I just want to thank everyone so much who has supported me through this,” Hicks said. “I love the community and I really look forward to the opportunity to serve the people of the City and Borough of Juneau. Being a police officer is something I’ve aspired to for quite some time.”
• Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at jonson.kuhn@juneauempire.com.
