To maximize the talent of Federal Way Police Department’s staff, the department requested that the city convert their Officer-in-Charge Program into a formal rank of corporal. Mayor Jim Ferrell and the Council approved that request to be effective on Jan. 1.

During the Council meeting on Tuesday, the following 10 police officers were promoted to the corporal rank:

• Josh Haglan has been a police officer for 14 years. He was hired by the department in June 2006. Prior to that he was a police officer in Hawaii, where he was awarded a medal of valor for rescuing the occupants of a fully engulfed, burning condominium. Haglan is married with four daughters. He enjoys fishing and landscaping.

• Bryan Klingele has been a police for 18 years. He was hired by the department in September 1996. He began his career at the Hoquiam Police Department. He was a U.S. Army medic assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University. Klingele was born and raised in Federal Way, where he graduated from Decatur High School.

• Jeff Otto has been a police officer for 14 years. He was hired by the department in January 2001. Prior to that he worked at a local Safeway for 10 years. Otto is a member of the SWAT team. He is competitive and athletic, completing two Ironman races and summiting Mt. Rainier twice. He has been married for 12 years and they have two children.

• Keith Pon has been a police officer for 17 years. He was hired by the department in March 1997. Prior to law enforcement he was a food service manager and pastry chef. He spent 11 years in the U.S. Marine Corps reserve. He has a Master’s Degree in criminal justice. He and his wife have a 4-year-old son, who is currently visiting family in China.

• Ron Potts has been a police officer for 28 years. He was hired by the department in March 1997. Before moving to Federal Way he was a deputy sheriff for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in southern California. Prior to that Potts served a four-year active duty enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps, followed by six years in reserves. His hobby is photography.

• Robert Riggles has been a police officer for 17 years. He graduated from the College of Southern Idaho’s law enforcement program in 1998 and was hired by the Filer, Idaho Police Department that same year. He was hired by the Federal Way Police Department in April 2004. He is an assistant team leader on the SWAT team. Riggles has been married for 14 years and they have four children.

• Keith Schmidt has been a police officer for 24 years. He was hired by the department in April 2004. He was a deputy for the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Department in southern Idaho. Schmidt has been married for 17 years and has two children.

• Oscar Villanueva was hired by the department as a police support officer in 2002. He worked for a construction company while attending Yakima Valley Community College, where he received an Associate’s Degree. He was hired as a police officer in November 2005. Villanueva grew up with five siblings, all sisters, and he has two daughters.

• Michael Wedel has been a police officer for 15 years. He was hired by the department in October 2007. He worked as a deputy sheriff with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in southern California. Wedel is married with three children. They like to spend their summers at the lake enjoying water sports, including wakeboarding and paddle boarding.

• Steve Wortman has been a police officer for 20 years. He was hired by the department in October 2005. He worked as a deputy sheriff for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and a police officer in the city of Banning, both in southern California. Wortman has a 13-year-old daughter and he is engaged to be married to his fiancée.