KNOX BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — History was made in Knox Borough on Monday when the council hired Nicole Bauer to be the next chief of police, making her the first woman to ever serve as a police chief in Clarion County.
(Photo by Alexis Rupert)
Bauer is a native of the southern part of the area, having grown up between Widnoon and New Bethlehem. She graduated from Redbank Valley High School in 2007.
Her career in law enforcement began in 2010 when she took on a position as a part-time Clarion County Sheriff’s Deputy.
According to Bauer, she had never planned on going into law enforcement but decided to give it a try when the opportunity presented itself.
“It was where I grew up, and the opportunity just showed up and it all worked out.”
She also began working as a deputy in Butler County in 2011, and then ended up going to the state municipal police academy. That led her to take a position in North Buffalo Township, Armstrong County, and then in New Bethlehem, where she stayed until 2018.
She also spent time working as a deputy for Armstrong County before she took a position as a patrol officer in Knox in July 2020.
Bauer noted that one of her favorite things about working in law enforcement is communicating with and building relationships with the local community.
“Your voice is your biggest tool,” Bauer said.
“It’s all about building relationships with the public and earning their trust. If you don’t have the trust of the community you work in, you won’t be successful as a police officer.”
The promotion to chief is an exciting opportunity that she definitely appreciates, according to Bauer.
“The Knox Borough council has been very welcoming, and I’m very appreciative of them offering me this opportunity.”
Bauer currently resides in the Shippenville area with her husband and two daughters, who she said are also happy about her promotion.
“They’re definitely excited for me.”
Looking forward, Bauer said one of her first concerns will be filling the vacancy left by former Chief Jason Bowen’s resignation and her advancement.
Bauer noted the department will be accepting applications for the vacancy through June 18 with the ultimate goal of finding a full-time patrol officer by the July Knox Borough council meeting.
Her other focuses, she said, are on getting comfortable in her new position and making sure any new officer they hire gets comfortable with the community.
“Chief Bowen did such a great job building relationships with people and bridging the gap between the police and the community here in Knox, and I definitely want to continue that.”
“I’m just really looking forward to the future of this police department and I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
