Family Ties Bring Army Veteran to KCPD
Image of Officer Chelsea Weinzatl
The plan was almost perfect.
Chelsea Weinzatl would enlist in the United States Army before joining KCPD. The Army, she hoped, would send her near an ocean.
Instead, “they sent me to the coldest place,” Weinzatl pointed out.
Yes, Weinzatl landed in one of the Army’s coldest bases, Fort Drum in New York state, a blink’s distance from Canada. There, Weinzatl worked as a diesel mechanic, a trade she learned working on tractors on the family farm near Cameron, Mo.
The plan also included following her father’s path. He served in the Army before serving more than 30 years at KCPD. Seeing her dad succeed and wanting to work in outside of an office atmosphere, Weinzatl joined KCPD, graduating in 2019.
Today, she’s an East Patrol officer who loves her division. In East Patrol, Weinzatl has developed the strong habit of meeting new people often.
“I like talking to different people,” Weinzatl explained. “I ask a lot of questions. People will usually just talk. It’s not hard for people to open up.”
The military and KCPD have both given Weinzatl something she craved that veterans would appreciate: structure and camaraderie. She’s wired, she said, to carry out her duties in a team atmosphere.
“I like knowing this is the time and place you have to be,” Weinzatl said. “I also like the family aspect. We work together towards things. You find people who are there for you, and people to lean on or trust.”
KCPD has police officer openings. Apply now.