After a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly three decades, with assignments that included the downtown walking beat, Watsonville Police Officer Kraig Kliewer hung up his hat Wednesday, with a send-off from his colleagues.
Kliewer says he wanted to be a police officer for years when he was younger, a desire that grew when he went on a ride-along with a cousin who was a California Highway Patrol officer. This included a lights-and-siren response to an incident.
“That hooked me,” he said.
The choice to become a police officer did not sit well with Kliewer’s parents, who insisted he go to college and earn a degree. He attended San Jose State University, where he studied advertising and psychology.
His family then wanted him to use his degree, and so he began working for a fine arts magazine in San Jose.
“I didn’t like it,” he said.
So he returned to college—this time taking administration of justice classes at Cabrillo. He soon began working as a reserve officer at Scotts Valley Police Department, but since that agency had a hiring freeze, he applied at other agencies.
Watsonville was the first to respond with an offer.
“I’ve been here ever since,” he said.
During his time with WPD, Kliewer served as a detective, was on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) task force, the Watsonville Police Activities League and the Alcohol Beverage Control task force.
He also did the downtown walking beat, which is a vital aspect of the department, since it is the department’s public face for the merchants and residents, says former Police Chief Terry Medina, who hired Kliewer.
“In law enforcement there is a saying about the patrol division being the backbone of any police department,” Medina says. “And officers like Kraig are the backbone of those divisions. Everywhere he has been in this department, he is the guy that is steady Eddie. He always shows up and always does the job well.”
Kliewer says his career choice came from his desire not to be saddled with a desk job.
“Every day’s a new day,” he says. “It’s not the same thing over and over again. Whatever the day throws at you, you have to deal with it and take care of it. I’ve enjoyed my whole career; It’s been rewarding. I like the people I work with and I look forward to coming to work.”
Kliewer says he will now move to his home in Nevada with his wife. He is still unsure how he will spend his retirement.
“I can’t sit still, so I’ll probably do some part-time job,” he said. “I have to keep going.”
