Maddie Friedrich is sworn in by Nevada Mayor Brett Barker during the September 23 City Council Meeting.
Nevada’s mayor administered the oath to the City’s newest officer, Maddi Friedrich, during Monday’s (September 23, 2024) City Council meeting.
Friedrich is a certified officer, which allows her to go right into department training and then patrol.
A native of Chickasaw County, Friedrich said she was homeschooled and earned her diploma in 2010.
Her parents had instilled in her the importance of community service and giving back.
“I thought I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my mom and sister and pursue a nursing career. But after a year-and-a-half in nursing school, I realized it wasn’t my career path,” she said.
Law enforcement seemed like a better way to serve others and be out and about.
To explore the idea, she did some law enforcement ride-alongs with local departments.
“That ignited the itch for law enforcement,” she said. She attended NIACC to earn an associate’s degree in criminal justice and then attended Mount Mercy University to complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
She did some work in “security” while attending school, and her first job out of college was for an armored vehicle service.
She started her law enforcement career in the town of Sumner. She worked toward relocating closer to the Des Moines metro and finding a department that was a good fit. Nevada was the right size community.
“I like this mid-size community, which has a good activity level, but still has a small-town feeling,” she said.
She also likes the size of the police department. “I don’t want to feel like a number. I want to be part of a family in the agency where I work.”
As for working in the Nevada community, Friedrich is excited for what Nevada offers, especially all the restaurants, coffee shops and the bakery. “I’m excited to go into the restaurants to have a conversation with people when I’m on breaks, or go to a sporting event and meet people.”
Meeting people, serving people, and building relationships is part of what she loves about being an officer. “It’s about meeting people where they’re at. They may be having an amazing day or they’ve had a horrible day, and I have to see whether I can make their day better and be encouraging to them, or whether I need to hold them accountable.”
When she’s not at work, Friedrich loves doing anything outside – landscaping, gardening, photography, and spending time with her family, her friends and especially her dog, Wyatt, a 10-year-old boxer. Church is also a major part of her life, and she enjoys taking part in a church connection group.
As for the fun questions, she was asked and answered a few:
Your favorite cop movie? “Courageous”
Your favorite cop show? “As cheesy as it sounds, ‘The Rookie.’ It’s something you can watch mindlessly.”
Does she like the cop staple of donuts? “Who isn’t into donuts?,” she said, and repeated it once more for emphasis. Friedrich is very excited to try Nevada’s bakery.
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
