Wesoloski joins Manawa’s force
By Holly Neumann
Shannon Wesoloski has been hired as a full-time officer for the city of Manawa.
“I started my law enforcement journey in 2007 with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department Reserve unit,” said Wesoloski. “During my time with the reserve unit, I was promoted to sergeant and in April of 2017, I started working part time with the Manawa Police Department.”
Wesoloski began his full-time position on Dec. 10.
“Law enforcement was something I always wanted to do,” he said. “For as long as I can remember, I was always in awe of what they did and what they stood for. I have always felt that this was for me.”
He earned his associate’s degree from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, and also attended the Police Academy at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.
Wesoloski said being a police officer is being a problem solver, a good listener and communicator.
“Being the person that people can go to when they need help, whether big or small, or someone to just talk to when no one else will listen,” he said. “But on the other side, to be the one that makes people accountable for their actions no matter how severe or minor they are.”
Originally from Pulaski, he thinks Manawa is a good place for him to be.
“I have grown up in a small town,” he said. “I know you have to build a rapport with the community. The citizen in the community can be your biggest and sometimes your only asset to solve crimes and to just get information about what is going on. People won’t talk to someone that they don’t trust or respect.”
He looks forward to being able to help people.
“Most of the time you, are the one they see at their worst times in their life, and how you conduct yourself will leave an everlasting impression of you,” Wesoloski said.
The strengths he brings to the position are the dedication and passion he has for the job and willingness to learn and ask question.
“I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything but am willing to find out and learn from that and any mistakes that I may make,” he said. “I try to always to have a positive attitude.”
The hardest parts of the job are to not take bad things home always being a police officer, whether on duty or not.
“In uniform or plain clothes. you always have to watch what you are doing and how you are acting,” Wesoloski said. “People will hold you accountable for your action on or off duty.”
What he enjoys most about his job is talking to people and hearing their stories and seeing children’s faces light up when they get to sit in a police vehicle and turn on the lights and siren or pretend to talk on the radio.
“For some reason, no one is excited to sit in the back. Not sure why,” he said.
Wesoloski is married and has three children.
In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, waterskiing and tubing.