The Spooner Police Department Has A New Chief Of Police

SPOONER, WI -- Spooner Police Department Captain, Mike Kronberger, will be sworn in this afternoon to officially become Spooner’s next Chief of Police.

Kronberger, who has been with the Spooner Police Department since 2011, is replacing Jerry Christman whose last day is also today.

Chief Christman has been with the Spooner Police Department since 1997 and has served the City of Spooner as Chief of Police for the past 10 years.

In February of 2021, then Washburn County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Nick Helstern announced he was retiring. The following month, Washburn County Sheriff Dennis Stuart selected then Spooner Police Department Captain Steve Pank as Helstern’s replacement. This created an opening at the SPD for a Captain for which Kronberger was selected. Kronberger has remained the SPD’s Captain for the past 2 years.

Last year, when Chief Christman made the decision that he would be retiring, an internal posting was announced seeking candidates for Chief. In August of 2022, Kronberger, who first started in Law Enforcement at the Minong Police Department in 2010, was selected by the City Council as Christman’s replacement.

Following the decision for Kronberger to take the Chief’s gig, an internal posting was announced to fill the vacancy for SPD Captain. After that, an external posting was announced. In February of 2023, the decision was made to hire Robert Darwin as Kronberger’s replacement as Captain. Darwin, who lives in Washburn County, had previously spent 20 years as the Chief of Police in Glenwood City, St. Croix County, WI.

As for Kronberger, he is grateful for Chief Christman and is looking forward to this opportunity.

"I want to say thank you to Chief Christman for his 30 years of service to the Spooner Police Department and to this community," Kronberger said to DrydenWire.com Friday morning. "Things will continue to move forward here at the Spooner Police Department. I am excited to continue working with the community and to move both the City of Spooner and the Spooner Police Department forward."