New officers sworn in to police department

Published 10:41 am Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Dustin Hicks and John J. Mueller are the newest faces of the Austin Police Department.

They were sworn in as officers in the Austin Police Department Tuesday morning at the city’s City Council Chambers.

“These guys have a lot to look forward to,” Austin mayor Tom Stiehm said.

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Hicks is originally from Menomonie, Wisconsin, and previously worked at IBM in the finance department and more recently Think Mutual Bank in Rochester. After deciding to switch career paths, he received his degree in law enforcement from Rasmussen College.

Officer Dustin Hicks takes the oath for the Austin Police Department by Director of Administrative Services Tom Dankert Tuesday morning.

Officer Dustin Hicks takes the oath for the Austin Police Department by Director of Administrative Services Tom Dankert Tuesday morning.

“I just want to help out the community,” Hicks said. “It’s a great community of people to work with.”

Mueller is very familiar with the Austin Police Department. His father, John Mueller, currently serves as police lieutenant.

“I kind of fell into my father’s footsteps,” Mueller said.

He attended Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and started working at the Stanley Police Department as a law enforcement officer in 2013.

“I liked getting out and meeting new people every day,” Mueller said of his previous job.

Although he enjoyed his time in Stanley, Wisconsin, he is excited to serve a new community.

“I’m looking forward to helping out the community and making it a better place to live,” Mueller said.