New officer gets to know community

The Tea Police Department has gained a new officer, Adrian Hoesli (pictured at right). He joined the force in June. Originally from Switzerland, he’s also an EMT.

“There’s a little bit of variety – it’s not a big city – not so much drugs or violence or traffic,” Hoesli said of Tea. “I love the interactions you get with the city. The people here take more ownership; if they see something, they’re concerned. There’s a sense of pride.”

His favorite part of policing is helping out: stepping up for victims and parts of society that don’t have representation.

You evaluate each crime on its own merit, Hoesli said; what are the circumstances, the severity of the crime, if there’s a victim, a suspect, and so on. Is a mental hold more appropriate than sending someone to jail, for instance?