Chad Christensen, 36, followed an odd career path to become Sweet Home’s newest police officer.
Christensen went to work for the Sweet Home Police Department on June 1 and started attending the Police Academy on June 21. He is scheduled to graduate on Oct. 15.
Prior to becoming a police officer, he worked for Public Works. Before that, he was a youth pastor.
Christensen graduated from Chehalis High School. He went into the youth ministry and worked at three different Christian Churches before serving at Holley Christian Church until he was laid off.
He and his wife, Amanda (Smothers) Christensen, decided to stay in Sweet Home, where her parents live and her hometown. They have lived in Sweet Home for about six years.
“I got laid off, and we had a decision to make,” Christensen said. “If we didn’t like this town, we probably would have moved again.”
He went to work in the Public Works Maintenance Division and then took a job an engineering technician in Public Works. He spent about three and a half years with Public Works before applying to be a police officer.
“I’ve always gone to church, and I’ve always had a relationship with the Lord,” Christensen said. He said his youth pastor had a big impact on his life. That led him to Puget Sound Christian College and an early career in the youth ministry. He earned a degree in youth ministry and social science.
Moving to law enforcement was almost natural for him.
“I’m used to working in people’s lives, being involved in people’s lives,” Christensen said. With Public Works, “if I went to work and came home, no one would ever know.”
The involvement of a police officer is different, but it is positive involvement and helps people, he said. He also prefers jobs with excitement, and he has friends who are police officers.
“It’s fast-paced,” he said. “You never know what you’re going to get into.”
It has variety, he said. “Every day is going to be different. It could be busy. It could be slow. You still have to be ready. You can’t take a day off.
“I guess you’ll never know what being a police officer is all about until you get into it, but being here for six or seven weeks, I’m starting to get more comfortable with it.”
Christensen has three boys, ages 6, 4 and 2. He enjoys spending time with his family, all sports and running.