Lieutenant Promotion

Date Incident: 18 February 2016

Subject: Lieutenant Promotion
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The City of Sonora held testing for the classification of Police Lieutenant. Sergeant Turu VanderWiel was ranked number one after all the testing components were scored.

On Saturday, 13 February 2016, Sergeant VanderWiel was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant within the department. The Lieutenant is the second in command of the department. This position had been frozen for the past seven years, with the duties being split among the Chief, plus the two Sergeants.

Lieutenant VanderWiel was raised in Sonora and is a graduate of Sonora High School. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Army, where he earned his Associates Degree from Pierce College in Washington.
After leaving the Army, Lieutenant VanderWiel attended the Ray Simmons Police Academy. Following his graduation from the police academy, he was hired by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy Sheriff, and later promoted to the rank of Corporal.
In October 2004, Lieutenant VanderWiel was hired as a Police Officer with the Sonora Police Department. In Dec. 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, where he has served honorably.
Lieutenant VanderWiel is extremely excited about taking on his new duties and assignments, as well as implementing new ideas and changes within the department.