VIDEO: WAVERLY SWEARS IN SECOND-EVER FEMALE POLICE OFFICER

SOPHIE REIDER, KV NEWS ANCHOR

Waverly’s second ever female police officer was just sworn in earlier this month.

Kiela Ruth is the newest addition to the Waverly police force. Sworn into service on November 4th, Ruth is also the second female police officer to ever join the waverly police force.

For Ruth, it is all about the connections she can make in the community she grew up in.

“I think it just shows that anyone can do whatever they set their mind to. It is a male dominated field and for people, especially young women and girls to see that females can do this job and can do a good job.”

— KIELA RUTH, WAVERLY POLICE OFFICER

“Really right now there’s a lot of tension between communities and law enforcement,” Ruth said. “It’s kind of a divided opinion so I think to be someone to help bridge the gap between citizens and law enforcement is something I really want to be apart of and to just show people there are humans behind the uniform not just robots.”

Ruth doesn’t see herself as a role model, or any different from the rest of the task force, she is still just a rookie on the team learning how different shifts work, the different schedules and the basic rundown. But she is ready to help other women achieve their goals.

“I think it just shows that anyone can do whatever they set their mind to,” Ruth said. “It is a male dominated field and for people, especially young women and girls to see that females can do this job and can do a good job at it is kind of what motivates me to continue and to let other people know this is a possibility for them.”

When deciding what she wanted to do, Ruth looked into many options, including her previous job at a jail. But she knew being an officer was her calling, and wants to show that its okay to take risks to get to the place you’re meant to be.

“I think we all have times in our life where we aren’t sure what we’re doing, or in the path that we think we are on i the right one and it can be scary and intimidating,” Ruth said. “So just to work through that and just to let yourself break those boundaries down and just prove to yourself just how much you can do is important”