If you’ve ever been to Washington Island, you would quickly agree that it is a close-knit community, and individuals often dedicate many years to any given role. This makes it all the more special that the Washington Island Police Department will swear in a new police officer, celebrating the first law enforcement hiring in 16 years for the town of Washington.

Officer Ulises Ponce will be joining the force and Washington Island Police Chief Gary Schultz says he’s looking forward to bringing him on board.

“He is fresh out of the academy, just having graduated in May and he comes highly recommended from his academy instructors,” Schultz said, “he has a young family of three and they’re moving to the island so I’m kind of excited about that and he has a real big interest in working with the kids up here on the island.”

Alongside helping to keep the community safe, Officer Ponce will be the first Spanish speaking officer on the island, a skill that Schultz feels brings an abundance of value.

“He is going to be our first Spanish speaking officer and will be able to translate,” Schultz added, “this time of year, we might triple or quadruple in size just based off of tourism, and that’s basically the reasoning for needing that extra help, so his ability to be able to communicate in another language is a big asset.” 

A Pinning Ceremony will be held at 11a.m. on Monday, June 30th in the gym at the Community Center on Washington Island where Officer Ponce will be sworn in and have his new badge pinned. After the ceremony, there will be a meet and greet hosted for the community to welcome Ponce and his family, who are brand new to Door County. The event is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.