Joseph Meyer began working in the police office Sept. 30 and was sworn in as an official officer during the October 14 City Council meeting. He will continue with training, until he leaves for the Law Enforcement Academy in January 2025.
Meyer’s father was a member of the US Navy, and Joseph was born when the family lived in Maryland. When Joseph was 3 the family moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where he was raised as the second oldest of four boys.
Joseph was homeschooled, and in Rochester, the homeschoolers are a big enough group that they have their own sports teams. Joseph was a defender and goalkeeper on the soccer team in high school.
After finishing high school in the spring of 2020, Joseph headed to Winona State University that fall, majoring in history and also starting in the ROTC (Reserved Officers’ Training Corps). “I initially wanted to pursue active-duty Army,” he said, but after signing up for the Minnesota Army National Guard in December of his freshman year, his goals changed.
“I liked the Guard, and it was a way to serve, and to better myself and the community,” he said. Joseph has found the National Guard to be “a constant force in helping me be better, and it doesn’t get stagnate. There’s always more to know, and more skills to become better at.”
Joseph graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Winona State this past May, and also then received his commission as an officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard. He will remain a Guard member and will return to Minnesota for one weekend of training a month in the St. Cloud area.
This past summer, Joseph moved to Central Iowa after his wife, Samantha, who played on the same high school homeschoolers’ soccer team, began graduate studies at Iowa State University. Joseph began looking at firefighter jobs, as he’d also been a volunteer firefighter in the past. Out of curiosity, he clicked on a link for the Nevada Police Officer position and decided to pursue the possibility. It worked out as another avenue to pursue public service.
“I’ve found that my life’s purpose is to be in the service of others and to use my skills and abilities to help people. I like being there for people and being someone they can rely on,” he said.
He is intrigued by law enforcement because of the individual interaction with people. “If someone has a problem, we can help them solve it and maybe make their day better.”
Early on, he’s impressed with the Nevada Police Department. “All of the actions through the hiring process and with being in the department have been positive. They’re investing in me to the point that it feels there’s a sense of loyalty, like I’m one of them now. I’m not just an employee, I’m a member of the team. The Chief has a very good grasp on morale.”
As for the City of Nevada, IA, he’s impressed. “It seems like a really nice city, and more tight-knit as a smaller community,” he said. As a Minnesotan, he can also still feel the “Midwestern nice.”
He’s excited for this career opportunity, and to start out his professional career with a job serving others. “I don’t know that it will ever feel like a job. That I get to come here and be part of this organization…is more like a dream come true.”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
