When Brooke Brady was offered the job as Chief of the City of Wyoming Police Department, she knew it would provide challenges. She also knew it was a tremendous opportunity.
“It’s an honor to be in this position,” she says. “I couldn’t have picked a better place to serve.”
Brady succeeds Rusty Herzog, who stepped down as chief to become Wyoming’s City Manager. She has spent 14 years in law enforcement and four as a supervisor with the Wyoming PD. “It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” she says. In addition to everyday police work, she ran the department’s Community Resource Officer Program, which included public-facing work such as school visits, festival appearances, and the Citizens Police Academy. She expects the relationships she built during this time will be invaluable.
“The biggest role of the chief is keeping engaged with the community,” Brady says. “I’d like to improve communication if that’s possible. If you’re having an issue, come talk to me. If you think we can improve, I want to hear about it.”
In this respect, Brady’s approach mirrors that of her predecessor, and she plans to work closely with Herzog going forward. “Rusty and I make a good team, because we want and believe the same things,” she says. “We value the support and relationships of this community. We couldn’t do the job without the help of the people of Wyoming.”
She is also proud of the skills and professionalism of the Wyoming Police Department. “Expectations are high,” she concedes, “But we have the greatest group of people.”
Brady grew up in rural Kentucky, and attended Eastern Kentucky University to major in police studies. She also met her husband there before moving to Wilmington, Ohio to be near his family. They still live in Wilmington with their three children, ranging from four to 10 years old. When she is not working, she keeps busy attending their sporting events, from cheer squad to basketball and softball.
