Platteville police officer Kris Purkapile was promoted to sergeant May 15.

Purkapile has been with the Police Department for seven years.

“Kris has dealt with a variety of situations during her tenure,” said Police Chief Doug McKinley. “Her leadership skills and aptitude with computers will serve her well in her new role.”

Purkapile is a 2002 graduate of Evansville High School before deciding to continue her education at UW–Platteville, where she graduated in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Mathematics. That summer, she attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Police Academy, graduating in August. 

Purkapile moved up the ranks with the Police Department, becoming an Officer In Charge and Field Training Officer. In 2011, she became a Wisconsin Training and Standards certified Emergency Vehicle Operations and Controls instructor and later a Precision Immobilization Technique instructor.

Purkapile has helped coach the Platteville High School softball team and is an advisor for the Platteville Police Explorer Post 480. She has been a member of the Platteville Elks Lodge and put on a mud volleyball fundraiser benefiting Orion Family Services’ Platteville group home. She was also instrumental in putting together a 2015 Platteville Police Department calendar to raise money for criminal justice scholarships. 

She is frequently at Platteville schools or events “building relationships for the police department through laughter, making the community a better place for the residents,” said McKinley.