GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – While there’s no such thing as a “perfect cop,” colleagues say that Sergeant Mike Knetzger is about as close as it gets.
If you told Sgt. Knetzger as a kid that he’d be a celebrated law enforcement officer and author of multiple books one day, he probably wouldn’t believe it.
Speaking at a ceremony in his honor at Green Bay Police Headquarters on Monday, he admitted that he was a self-proclaimed “lousy” student growing up.
“I was nearly a high school dropout,” explains Sgt. Mike Knetzger, with GBPD. “I had a 1.9 GPA, that’s a D+.”
Oh, how far he’s come.
He says a major factor in turning around his drive and focus was his mom, who made the decision to have him spend time with an English tutor.
“It was that moment, which was probably a turning point in my life,” he explains. “I can’t diagram a sentence today yet, but apparently I can write one quite well.”
Indeed, he can.
Sgt. Knetzger is the author of a handful of books, included the praised work Ashley’s Story, which describes how his daughter was killed by a drunk driver in 2008.
“I am motivated and driven to be the best police officer I can, the best trainer I can, and the best father I can,” he says.
The purpose of Monday’s gathering was to award him with the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Award from the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum.
That award is in recognition of law enforcement officials who have successfully completed additional training to garner new skills in the field and continually seek a lifetime of education.
On Monday, he became just the thirteenth police officer in state history to be given the award.
While many of his colleagues might call him the “perfect cop,” Sgt. Knetzger would retort that he simply strives for perfection in his daily work.
“Most mistakes are unintentional and when those mistakes happen, create learning opportunities for them,” says Sgt. Knetzger. “And make them life-long learners.”
And while the award is certainly an honor, he adds that perhaps the greatest reward is the joy that being a part of something bigger than him has brought.
“What I will miss most one day is the jocularity, the banter,” explains Sgt. Knetzger. “I appreciate it, you make me laugh a lot.”
