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After all, he grew up in the town, knows its people and could almost recite its street directory from memory.
"I could probably tell you who lives in what house, who's lived there before, just the history of it," he said.
Now, after more than 25 years in Victoria Police, the 52-year-old has come full circle, taking charge of the station in the community he has called home for most of his life.
For Leading Sen. Constable Wild, country policing has never been just about catching crooks or handing out fines.
It's about waving to people in the supermarket, checking on a vulnerable neighbour, welcoming a new family to town, or catching up with half the community while running errands.
"I might duck down the street to get some milk and bread and an hour and a half later I'll come back because I'm down there talking to people," he said.
In many ways, that's exactly how he likes it.
"In a small community, you've sort of got to be the face of VicPol," he said.
But country policing is rarely quiet and never predictable. It demands versatility, adaptability and a readiness for whatever comes next.
On any given day, Leading Sen. Constable Wild could be helping coordinate a funeral procession, signing a statutory declaration, responding to a family violence call-out, investigating a burglary, or rushing to the scene of a fatal crash.
"It's the old saying in policing, anything can happen," he said.
Yet behind the uniform is a reality the public rarely sees.
While serving at Kyabram police station in December 2025, then Acting Sergeant Corey Wild (right) joined forces with Kyabram CFA captain Tom Duggan to spread the message about farming safety.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Over the years, Leading Sen. Constable Wild has attended fatal crashes, delivered death messages to grieving families and witnessed the lasting impact trauma can have on victims, children and emergency workers alike.
"We're human as much as everyone else, and things get to us as well," he said.
"It's not like we put on a uniform and we're immune to everything that goes on."
Of all the challenges he encounters, Wild says the effect family violence has on children is among the hardest.
"Some are actually used to it. They're used to mum and dad yelling, screaming, carrying on, throwing stuff, smashing walls," he said.
"Then you have the other side of it, where you get kids who are actually terrified about someone raising their voice.
"It's that vicious cycle which keeps going around."
Despite the challenges, Leading Sen. Constable Wild is driven by the same motivation which saw him join the police force as a 25-year-old.
"It's just the satisfaction of helping people," he said.
And if you're looking for Tongala's new policeman, there's every chance he won't be hard to find.
"Everyone in town knows who I am. They knock on my door at home asking if I can witness documents and sign things, which I'm happy to do," he laughed.
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