Meet Officer Swanson

Andrew Swanson was looking for something more in life when it came to a career.
The 2006 graduate of Madrid High School said he was “bouncing around from one job to another” for a few years. Then, at age 28, he went back to school to study criminal justice. “I did an internship for the Story County Sheriff’s Office … and I loved it,” he said. “Ride-alongs” with patrol deputies were his favorite part of the internship. “That really confirmed what I wanted to do.”
On Dec. 16, 2019, he was hired by the Nevada Police Department as an officer. It’s a whole new beginning for this 32-year-old, who initially studied agriculture at DMACC. He grew up on a farm and still helps his father farm.
“I still enjoy [farming],” he said, “but it’s not what I wanted to do for a lifetime.” He thinks he’s found his lifetime calling in law enforcement.
“I’ve never loved coming to work so much,” he said of the comradery he feels around his fellow Nevada officers. Describing himself as “pretty green” yet, he said he’s excited to learn every day. “I want to be a lifelong learner.”
Swanson believes his personality suits the law enforcement profession. “I honestly like to be around people. I like to talk to people,” he said.
Shortly after being hired, he left for the mandated Iowa Law Enforcement Academy training in Johnston. But because of COVID-19, his training was completed in Nevada, with online learning and some hands-on training from Nevada’s veteran officers. He’s presently working days while in the middle of his patrol training with the Nevada PD. Once that’s complete, he’ll likely move to the overnight shift.
In his free time, Swanson can be found farming, reading military books, or watching Hawkeye football. He loves animals and has a German shepherd named Axe. He also enjoys time with his parents, Alan and Bonnie Swanson, on the farm south of Madrid; and he has an older sister, Angie, who lives in Kansas.