Saturday marked Isaac Gutierrez’s first day in uniform as a Powell police officer. He’s hoping it was just the first of many.

“I’m excited that I can start my career here, so I can end my career here, too,” Gutierrez said earlier this month.

The Powell native is the youngest officer on the force — in fact, the police department had to wait for Gutierrez to turn 21 before officially bringing him on board. But having been born and raised in Powell, he enters the job with a great deal of knowledge about the community.

Gutierrez also already has five years in the workforce, as he started working at Powell Valley Hospital when he was 16. He began as a student aide, moved into a front desk position and then became a human resources assistant.

The work at the hospital brought him into contact with many different people, including police officers. Gutierrez said those interactions with law enforcement helped him realize it was a career he might want to take on.

Gutierrez has served in the Wyoming National Guard for the past three years. Earlier this summer, that service took him to Tunisia, where he cross trained with the North African country’s military as part of an effort to bolster diplomatic ties.

His part-time service in the guard — which he plans to continue — also led him toward police work. Serving as a police officer seemed to be “the closest thing to full-time military [work] that I could get,” he explained, while the guard has helped physically prepare him for the role.

It was also while attending the guard’s boot camp at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, that Gutierrez realized how much he missed and appreciated Powell. He enjoys the quiet and the many outdoor activities, like fishing and hunting — “all the stereotypical Wyoming things,” he said.

Perhaps most importantly, “I love the community, love the people here,” Gutierrez said. “It’s just a great place to be.”

He was formally sworn in at the July 3 city council meeting, with a large contingent of family members in attendance — including grandparents who traveled from California for the occasion.

At the meeting, multiple council members expressed enthusiasm at having a “homegrown” officer join the department.

“I think he’ll be a good one,” said Councilman Steve Lensegrav.

“One of our own,” said Powell Police Lt. Matt McCaslin.

Gutierrez will next complete months of training with the department and at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy.

He’s the second officer to be added to the department this year — following Jade Euan in February — but the agency still remains two short of a full squad.

For various reasons, law enforcement agencies across the region and country have been struggling to find new recruits, but Gutierrez is enthusiastic about the job. Speaking earlier this month, Gutierrez said he couldn’t wait to start patrolling the city’s streets and building long-term relationships with the public.

“Really,” he said, “I’d like to do this my entire career.”