SPASH grad fills out complement at SPPD

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point has a new police officer on the job.

Will Klismith, 40, was sworn into his role as a patrol officer at the Stevens Point Police Department on May 22. Klismith is a SPASH Class of 2001 graduate.

Klismith began his police science education several years ago, but had to leave to work full-time when the school changed its format, and Klismith wasn’t able to work and attend school simultaneously, according to Chief Bob Kussow.

Klismith began volunteering for the auxiliary police unit in Wisconsin Rapids in 2016, and in early 2023 he went back to Mid-State to complete the police academy program. He graduated from Mid-State on May 17.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Klismith said. He previously supported his wife and four children by driving trucks and working in metal fabrication.

Klismith fills the last vacancy at SPPD, for now, until another officer’s anticipated retirement this summer will create another one.

“We cannot be successful in our jobs if we don’t have an incredible support system here, at the department, or at our homes, so I want to thank Will’s family in supporting him with his decision, and for giving all of us here at the Stevens Point Police Department an opportunity to work with him,” Kussow said during the ceremony. “I promise you, and your family, Will, we will make your safety a priority and do everything in our power to ensure that you return home safely after every shift.”