Warden takes oath to serve as Marietta police chief
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MARIETTA -- The city of Marietta swore in a new police chief on Monday afternoon.
Marietta Police Sgt. Katie Warden is the 12th and first female police chief in the city's history. Warden also said she's the third female to be hired and the first female sergeant on the police force.
"I'll be here 21 years in August," Warden said, noting it's her commitment to public service that brought her to the police department.
"I really love my community and I've always had a passion for serving," she said. "There's no better way to do that than the police department."
Although she's the first female police chief, she takes it in stride.
"I feel like everyone else is making a bigger deal out of it than I am," she said. "It's very exciting and I hope that I can be an example for other women that maybe want to go into law enforcement. This is something that's a possibility to become a career for us and you can be successful."
A civil service test was recently administered and Warden scored higher than others taking the test, with a score of 96.05. She is taking over from former Police Chief Aaron Nedeff, who was named police chief in August. He scored 90.33 on the test.
Shortly after being sworn in, Warden was swarmed with friends and family, including her husband, Marc, and sons Drew, 15, and Owen, 12. She made sure to get photos with other women who had supported her. As police officers filed onto the front steps of the city hall for photos, she was congratulated and hugged by each.
Mayor Josh Schlicher congratulated Warden on being the 12th chief and first female chief in the department's 150 year history.
"We've already had a staff meeting with her and I like what she has to say and to offer," Schlicher said. "I think she'll have a different perspective and wants to modernize the department more."
He said he believes Warden will continue the advancement of more training and better equipment for the department.
"We need to get back to our core responsibilities," he said. "We want to see more community-based policing, more traffic enforcement and safety for children and schools."
Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.