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file part of www.watertownhistory.org
website
Watertown
Police Department website
Watertown Police Department
Serving the
community since 1853
1842
Up to 1842 Watertown
operated under a county system of government and in April of that year
Watertown held its first election for town constables. Harris Gilman and Eli H. Bouton
were chosen.
1849
On March 7, 1849,
Watertown was incorporated as a village and a charter was adopted. The village marshal was Joseph Giles.
Joseph Giles was one of
the early day police officers in Watertown.
He was sheriff of Jefferson County many years ago, deputy sheriff,
constable, in fact held office most all his life in Watertown. Joe was always able to manage the tough boys
who came to town . . .
1853 Police Department Established
In 1853 Watertown was incorporated as a city, and from then on operated
the law and order department, with justices of the peace, city marshals and
constables. There were justices of the
peace in Watertown and sometimes two or three constables in a ward. Occasionally in an old city directory one or
two would be identified as policemen.
CITY CHARTER / AN ACT / To Incorporate the City of Watertown
03 03 . . . Section 7. The mayor shall be the chief executive officer
and head of the police of the city.
It shall be his duty to recommend in writing to the city council such
measures as he may deem expedient. He
shall keep the seal of said city, sign all commissions, licenses and permits
which may be granted by the city council; he shall endeavor to maintain peace
and good order, and see that the laws of the state and ordinances of the city
are observed and executed; he shall have the power to administer oaths or
affirmations, and to take and certify acknowledgement of deeds and other
instruments in writing. As a judicial
officer, he shall have power, and by giving the bonds required by law, may
exercise the jurisdiction of justice of the peace, and to prevent or suppress
riot or other public disturbance, by may appoint as many special constables as
he may deem proper.
In witness whereof I
have hereunto set my hand a affixed the great seal of
said state, at the capitol in Madison, this third day of March, A.D. 1853.
Charles D Robinson,
Secretary of State. Watertown Chronicle, 03 16 1853
1853
Lucius Bruegger became the first
city marshal in 1853 when Watertown was incorporated as a city.
1854-1857 Ernst Off, City Marshal
1855
Night Watchman taken up town,
filled with beer, while two sawed Maes’ shanty fence
and threw it into the river
1858 Harris Gilman, City Marshal
August Tanck elected City
Marshal
1859
01 27 Accounts presented and referred . . . W. Bieber & Co., for
rent of lock-up to March, 1859, $18.00 WD
02 10 Confer with Messrs. Bieber & Co. and ascertain
the amount of rent for lock up for the ensuring year WD
03 03 John Staub, candidate for office of City Marshal
03 10 Subject of Police
Jurisdiction
06 02 Special Police or
Night Watch proposed WD
1859-1860 August Tanck,
City Marshal
1860
01 26 August Tank for three months services as
City Marshall, Oct. 1st, 1859, to Dec 31, 1859, $25, allowed and charged to
city general fund WD
1861 John Haines, City Marshal
05 23 Office of police justice to be abolished,
remarks by Mayor Williams WD
1862 Frederick Herman, City Marshal
1863 J. Staub, City Marshal
1864 John Haines, City Marshal
1866-1872 Ernst Off, City Marshal
1869 Special Police
1. The common council,
for the purpose of guarding against the calamities of fire, shall have power to
prescribe the limits within which wooden building or buildings of other
materials that shall not be considered fire proof, shall not be erected or
repaired and to direct that all and any buildings within . . .
7. The common council
shall have power to organize a sack [fire] company, which shall be known as
sack company number one, to consist of not more than twenty members. Such
company shall constitute a part of the fire department, and at fires shall be
subject to the control of the chief engineer. The members of said company,
either collectively or individually, are hereby authorized and empowered to act
as a special police in and for the city of Watertown, and are hereby vested
with all the power and authority which now is or may hereafter be vested in any
police officer of said city and shall be entitled to all the rights and
immunities of the fire department; at fires they shall take charge of all
property which may be exposed or endangered, and shall, so far as it may be in
their power, preserve the same from injury and destruction . . . Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 48
1873 John “Putt” Reichert
[Reichardt], City Marshal
1874 P. Dougherty, City Marshal
1875 J. F. Barber, City Marshal
1876 Watertown Special Police [Fire Police]
A general desire seems
to prevail among many of our citizens, and the matter will soon be submitted to
the consideration of the Board of Street Commissioners as to the exigency of
organizing a Sack Company, to
act as a reinforcement to our present police force
in cases of great necessity.
Although the city
charter expressly provides for an organization of this description [see 1869], still
no force of this kind has yet been formed, and without it the efficiency of
our Fire Department seems necessarily incomplete. The organization, as provided by the charter,
is to comprise not more than twenty men, to constitute a part of the Fire
Department and to be subjected to the full control of the chief engineer.
It is understood that
each member belonging to the company is virtually constituted a police officer,
empowered with the same rights, privileges and authority that are vested in any
emissary connected with our city police.
Watertown Democrat, 06 22 1876 / Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 84
_____________________________________________________
Sack Company No. 1 was
incorporated in 1876 for the purpose of attending fires in the capacity of a special fire police force—few now
know that they even existed, much less what their role was at the time. Special Police or Fire Police were Volunteer
Fire Company members with sworn police powers.
They received special police training and were responsible for traffic
control, crowd control, fire and incident scene
security, apparatus security securing property and, in some instances, station
security during calls for service. They hustled when the alarm of fire was
heard, many times reaching the scene before the firemen themselves. During times of large-scale or particularly
serious small emergencies, the response system could become overwhelmed. To that end, having a trained, equipped group
of responders who could supplement fire personnel was an invaluable tool to
incident commanders. Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pgs 84-86
1877-1878 D. Kehr,
City Marshal
1879 George Henze, City Marshal
1880s, c
F. P. [Peter] Brook, owner of a
confectionary and fruit store on the Main St bridge,
served as deputy city marshal, date uncertain
WG
1885
August Charles Kerr,
appointed night patrolman, becomes city marshal and first police chief; served
1885-1912.
09 04 Officer Stylow;
chance to show the public just how adept he was at handling six desperate
tramps
1889 Charles Zautner, City
Marshal
Night police officer sleeping while on duty,
Zautner prepared formal complaint regarding.
1890c Police Dept located in City Hall, adjacent to Fire
Dept
1892-1895 Charles Kerr, City Marshal
1894
01 23 During the year 1894 there were 226 arrests made by
officers in this city. The statistics .
. . WR
06 29 Julius Schoechert
appointed special policeman WG
1896-1916 Herman C. Block:
Watertown's first
Chief of Police in the modern sense of that term was the late Herman C.
Block. He was first named in 1896 and
served by appointment of the City Council from 1903 to 1910, when he was appointed
to the same position by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, serving
until 1916 when he resigned and was succeeded by Charles Pieritz.
Mr. Block became a
Milwaukee Road detective after leaving his position here. His home for many years was at South Fourth
and Market Streets, the site now [1954] occupied by the office building of Dr.
A. C. Hahn, Dr. A. C. Nickels and Dr. Vernon P. Smebak.
1910 Chief of Police: H.
C. Block
Policemen: Lucius Bruegger, Charles
Pieritz, Gerhardt Butzler,
Charles Kerr
Special Policemen: Carl Beduhn,
Bert W. Smith
1915 Police presence, after Barker Lumber fire
07 01
3:40 am alarm
turned in by Patrolman Arthur Doerr
10 08 Officer
Doerr’s Close Call
A Fierce Gun Fight at Watertown With
Supposed Train Robbers
MANY SHOTS EXCHANGED
A dispatch from
Watertown to the Milwaukee papers last Wednesday gives a detailed account of an
effort of two Watertown policemen to arrest the supposed train robbers. One of the policemen ,
and the officer who had a mighty close call is Arthur Doerr, a former resident of Juneau
and a son-in-law of Fred Bertsch of this place.
A passenger train of
the Milwaukee Road was held up and robbed in the state of Washington last week
and the supposed bandits were working their way in this direction ever since
the robbery.
The police in Portage
wired the Watertown police Tuesday to search all trains coming into
Watertown. Tuesday night Policeman
Arthur Doerr and Lucius Bruegger went to the depot.
As Doerr was entering a box car he threw his
flash light ahead and saw three men.
“What are you doing here?” he said.
Without saying a word
one of the suspects drew an automatic revolver and pressed it against the nose
of the officer. A click of the trigger
followed but there was no explosion of the cartridge.
Doerr dropped to the ground to save himself. The suspects jumped back into the box car,
while Doerr began firing at them until his revolver
was empty. The suspects, every time the
officer fired, answered the shots and bullets went whizzing over the officer’s
head, but none of them found their mark.
Aid was summoned and a
running fire of revolver play ensued.
The station agent and a citizen followed one of the suspects along the
track, but the suspect held them at bay by frequent shots from his revolver and
escaped.
“I have learned my
lesson” said Doerr this morning. “Next time I will be
better armed and have enough shots with me.”
Doerr attributes the escape of the train robbers to the
fact that they were better armed and provided with several rounds of
ammunition. WDT
1916
11 24 Chief Block Resigns
Following the action of
the police and fire commission in passing a resolution prohibiting the Chief of
Police to leave the city without consent of either the president or secretary
of the commission, Chief of Police Herman C. Block tendered his
resignation. This action was taken by
Mr. Block as he could not see his way clear to the proper exercise of his duties
if restrictions were to be enforced similar to the one adopted by the police
and fire commission. Chief Block was a
member of the Watertown police department 23 years and was at the head of the
department for 21 years. WDT
__________________________________________________________
1916 Rules and
Regulations
Board of Police and
Fire Commissioners
Regarding Watertown
Police and Fire Departments
City of Watertown
Selected portions of Rules and Regulations: Adopted
July 3, 1916.
Sec. 959-45. 1. The Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire
Department shall hold their respective offices during good behavior, subject,
however, to suspension or removal as herein provided, at any time for cause. In
suspending a chief officer the board may act on its own initiative or upon
written charges made by any qualified elector of said city and filed with the
president of the board. Pending the investigation of any such charges, the
board may, in its discretion, suspend any such chief officer . . .
Sec. 959-45. 2. Every other officer or member of either department
shall be subject to suspension, for cause, by the chief of the department or by
said board. If suspension is made by the chief officer he shall immediately
report the same with the cause of such suspension to the president of the
board, and the board shall thereupon proceed to examine the charges against
such suspended person, giving him an opportunity to be heard in his defense.
After hearing the evidence the board shall determine whether said charges are sustained
. . . Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire
Department: 1858-2007, 2007, pg 194
Police and fire commissions date back to a time,
more than a century ago, when the Wisconsin Legislature enacted a measure
establishing such commissions as municipal bodies. Recognizing the critical role of police
officers and firefighters in assuring the public's safety, the Legislature
believed that by creating an independent body, one that no political party
could come to dominate, the selection and removal of police officers and fire
fighters would be insulated from the vagaries of partisan politics.
When Commissions Must Be Created: Under Wisconsin law, cities with a population
of 4,000 or more must create police and fire commissions. Cities with a
population of under 4,000 may, by ordinance, create a police and fire
commission, but are not required to do so. (Section 62.13(2),
Wisconsin Statutes.) Villages are treated differently under state law
and in a manner that is sometimes confusing.
Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 428
1916-30 Charles Pieritz: Pieritz served from
Dec. 1, 1916 to Dec. 31, 1930.
1927
The 1927 department consisted
of H.
A. Weis, A. J. Doerr, A. Glaser, Wm. Grossert, H. Rutz, and W.
Zimmermann. Seated:
Chief of Police C. H. Pieritz, and Assistant Chief M.
H. Bolger.
1928 New Patrol Here; Council Consigns It To Basement
12 05 Watertown’s new police patrol, purchased through the C. H. Tidd Co., arrived in the city was placed on exhibition at
the City Hall. The council consigned the
patrol to quarters that are being prepared for it in the basement by the
committee on public buildings.
Opposition to placing the
patrol in the basement, at the extreme northwest end of the building, has
arisen and protests were launched in the council by some aldermen who said that
a more convenient place should be secured.
It was decided, however, to continue the plans as undertaken by the
committee on public buildings and give the basement quarters a trial. Remodeling of the place, the city engineer
said, is not costly, and he said he felt the plan will work out alright.
Captain Bolger, in charge of
the night police force, said that it was up to the council to decide where the
patrol is to be housed, but he said that in his estimation, and in the
estimation of some other officials, the basement quarters are in an out of the
way place.
“The police patrol should be
just as handy and ready for service as are the fire trucks,” he said. “When people call the police, especially at
night they want quick service and at time there will be delay in getting the
patrol from its quarters, especially if the alleyways about the building are
covered with snow or coated with ice. At
times, I venture to say, it will be wholly impossible to get out with the
machine. We have had experience along
this line and even with the Ford car we used so long it was impossible at times
to mount the hill. It must be remembered
that there is no chance of getting a start from the bottom end of the city
hall, because the incline starts at once.”
Must Be Quartered
It was pointed out that the new
machine is one that will not be allowed to stand out in any kind of weather,
ready for use when needed as was the old car, but that it must be quartered between
calls for its use.
The police get far more calls
at night than people are aware of and the patrol goes out time after time and
even the slightest delay at times will result in protest from the public
requiring the services of officers.
The city engineer said that he
was operating under the orders of the committee on public buildings and had no
voice in the matter, but that he felt the plans of the committee would work out
satisfactorily.
Following the suggestion of
Alderman Stacy, the new patrol will be kept ready at all times and is to be
oiled, cleaned and maintained in serviceable condition by a member of the fire
department whose duty it will be to see that the car is fit for use
whenever required by the police. Present plans are to turn this work over to
Emil Luther, janitor of the city and a member of the fire department. The service will be paid for in addition to
the regular salary received by him.
A test was to be made this
afternoon of the patrol in an effort to find out how the proposed new quarters
will serve the convenience of drivers.
It was to be conducted by members of the department under the direction
of Joseph M. Solon of the C. H. Tidd Co. who
negotiated the deal for the purchase of the vehicle with the city. WDT
1930 Retirement of Chief Pieritz.
1931-44 Albert N. Quest: Pieritz was
succeeded by Quest on Jan. 1, 1931. Mr.
Quest was a retired Milwaukee police officer and his tenure here resulted in a
complete overhauling of the Police Department, bringing it up to a new high
standard and organization . He was stricken with a heart attack and died
on June 11, 1944.
1930s Patrolling the streets
Harley motorcycle operated
by Officer Raymond Brier.
1935
Ports in windshield and
shields mounted on bumper
1936 Engelke murder
Arthur Zimmermann, William Voss [murderer], Harry O'Brien, Harold Dakin
1939 Dept patrol cars. Car on right believed to be a 1938 or 39 Plymouth
Memorial
Park, today municipal bldg. Hartig Brewery in background
1940
Death of Sgt. Arthur '"Zimmie"Zimmermann; joined department in 1916
1942 Watertown Police
Reserve [Watertown Auxiliary Police]
06 28 Watertown
has the oldest police auxiliary group in the state. The Watertown Police Reserve, originally
known as the Watertown Auxiliary Police group, has been ongoing consecutively
from 1942. The Milwaukee Police
Auxiliary is the next oldest organization, having been formed after World War
II. The American Legion was founded in
1919 and since there was no group to give the veterans of World War I military
honors, a firing squad was started to provide the duty. The squad was composed of members that could
easily get away from work for funerals. WDT
The Watertown Auxiliary Police force,
not to be confused with the Watertown
Special Police, was formed in 1942 as a Civil Defense Corps during World
War II under the direction of a County Defense Chairman. The primary function of the organization at
that time was to assist residents in the event of an attack by a foreign
country. Upon conclusion of World War
II, then Police Chief Theodore Voigt asked the group to become an Auxiliary Police
squadron. The group
became the Watertown Auxiliary Police and have been assisting sworn
officers at special events and major incidents demanding prolonged law
enforcement services ever since. Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 87
1944-1954 Theodore C. Voigt
Chief Theodore C. Voigt
took over his duties on July 1, 1944.
The chief rose from the ranks of the Police Department. A former member of the U. S. Marine Corps, Voigt,
joined the department in 1932, serving as patrolman until 1939. On March 25,1939 he
was named sergeant and served in that capacity until Jan. 3, 1944, when he
became captain, succeeding Capt. William Grossert
when the latter retired from the department.
On Sept. 20, 1950 Voigt
was named a special agent of the FBI and was granted a leave of absence by the
City Council to accept the position. He
served until July of 1953 when his service with the FBI terminated and he
returned to his duties as chief.
During his absence
Herbert Vehlow served as acting Chief of Police. Since Voigt's return, Vehlow
has held the rank of police inspector.
Under Chief Quest and
Chief Voigt the department has made its greatest strides toward modern police
methods. Its men have attended special
schools for police training, some of them conducted by the FBI. It has modernized its equipment, a police
radio system has been installed and modern fingerprinting, photography and modern
filing systems have been introduced. The
old police patrol was abandoned with the advent of the modern automobile and
now the department uses squad cars and motorcycles in its work. Through radio the department is in constant
touch with sheriff's departments and police authorities in other cities.
1945c
Exterior view of old City Hall. When one walked in the main entrance of City
Hall the police department was straight ahead.
A door to the Fire Department was off the right. The jail was on the first floor, behind the
police dept. Originally consisted of 3
cells, but later on was used for storage.
Stairway to left upon entering led to offices of mayor, city clerk and
city treasurer located on second floor.
City nurse and Army and Navy recruiter were on third floor. . . .
Leonard Braunschweig on motorcycle
10 31
Herbert W. Tessman
[l] and Wilbur F. Wollin [r], began their duties
November 1. Both were veterans of World
War II and were appointed to their new positions following examinations. Tessman was a
platoon sergeant in the U. S. Marines and saw duty in the Pacific; Wollin was a lieutenant in the Army and served in
Europe. The two men replaced George Helmke who resigned and Arthur Glaser who had recently
retired from the department.
1946
01 09
Gordon Gerth,
23, son of Alderman and Mrs. Herman Gerth [*], took
over his duties as patrolman with the local police department. Officer Gerth was a
graduate of the Watertown High School, where he played football, and attended
Ripon College for two years. WDT
[*] Herman Gerth: 1956,
Last Man’s Club, Company E; 1958, G B Lewis 25 year club; member of Auxiliary Police in
1960
01 10 Herbert
Weis, 1887-1946
First Watertown policeman to ride a motorcycle; it was his own.
1950s
L-R: Alfred ( Mickey ) Krahn, Marlyn ( Pecky ) Mann or Norman Behlke,
unknown civilian
1954
The one great lack of
the department [1954] is a modern office and modern and spacious quarters. This is one of the crying needs for better
police work and greater efficiency. The present
quarters have been inadequate for many years.
In addition to Chief
Voigt, the 1954 police force consisted of the following:
Inspector Herbert Vehlow, Captain Patrick Kunitz,
Patrolmen Leonard G. Braunschweig, Alfred A. Krahn, Hilbert C. Eisfeldt,
Gordon Gerth, and Melvin Wendt, Sgt. Clarence Tessmann and Patrolmen Marlyn K.
Mann, Edward Dusowsky, John W. Crandall, Floyd H.
Miller, Norman F. Behlke, Ernest V. Kubly and Robert D. Lund.
New Park Policeman. Walter Kressin took
over his duties as park policeman and will also serve as a special police
officer whenever demands arise. He
succeeded the late Glen W. O'Brien.
Aside from the chiefs
of police and others mentioned, the department has been fortunate in the rank
and file membership over the years. The
late Michael Bolger, for many years police captain, was among the outstanding
police officers. Others included the
late Lucius Bruegger,
Arthur Zimmermann, Herbert Weis,
Arthur Glaser, and John Bentheimer.
Among the men living in
1954 and who served the department ably and well for many years were Arthur Doerr, Capt. William Grossert and
Capt. John Novotny and Ray Brier.
1955-1966 Herbert F. Vehlow,
Chief of Police
1955c
Gay Theder, Asst
Fire Chief, Herb Vehlow, Police Chief, Dean Van Ness,
City Manager, Al Linde, Fire Chief.
1956 Rules and Regulations Governing the
Watertown Fire Department
SECTION 25. To Assist Police. It shall be the duty of every member of
the Dept. to assist the Police Officers in making arrests or quelling
disturbances when called upon to do so when away from Company Quarters. Whenever word is sent to Quarters asking for
assistance to the Police, the commanding officer in Quarters shall detail as
many men as may be necessary for the occasion, provided that not less than the
minimum number of men required by Dept. rules shall remain in Quarters for duty
in case of fire. Riedl, Ken, Watertown Fire Department: 1858-2007,
2007, pg 314
02 29 Officer Kenneth Ceithamer
began his duties; Sgt. Clarence Tessmann assigned to
day shift; Officer Earl Ebert assigned to a late night shift.
1957
12 17 Richard Reynolds,
patrolman; Gordon Gerth, sergeant WDT
1958
06 12 Enforcement of bicycle code
Department
personnel, c1958
10 15 Chief Vehlow
with boy scouts
1959
1960
06 17 Watertown Civic
Center, Police Dept station would be part of plan WDT
Members
of the Watertown Auxiliary Police
1961
02 18 Plans for a new fire and police
station on block then housing the recreation building had two strikes
against it. WDT
03 03 Sub-Standard
Condition of Police and Jail Quarters
The city council which
is currently involved in a long standing hassle over plans to provide new
police department and jail facilities got another warning - a stern one and one
that may well be final - from the state last night relative to the present and
long-standing sub-standard condition of police department and jail quarters
housed in the city hall - the same space and quarters the department has been
forced to occupy since the present city hall was built in 1884. Last night's warning, by letter and signed by
V.A. Verhulst, representing the division of
corrections, Wisconsin State Department of Public Welfare, was the latest in a
series of proddings by the state that the city do
something to clear up the jail issue
without further delay. WDT
05 11 State of Wisconsin through waiting for the city to bring
city hall jail quarters up to standard.
06 28 Old post office
bldg proposed as police headquarters.
WDT
1963 Al Linde
and Herb Vehlow, Fire and Police Chiefs, at late 1963
ground-breaking for fire and police station portion of new Municipal Building
on site of Memorial Park.
1966-1971 Marlyn K.
Mann, Chief of Police
Police Dept Photo dated 03 24 1966, 7:24
a.m. Location Elks Club, 117 N First St
1966
1968 Lavern E. Schumann
04 01 Patrolman Schumann, 22, began duties as a patrolman, replacing
Officer William E. Lueck who submitted his
resignation effective March 31. He
joined the department on Jan. 1. He was
a graduate of Watertown High School, a veteran of Vietnam, having served with
the U. S. Army as infantry team leader and grenadier. [Wedding of]
07 01 Patrolman Leonard Braunschweig,
a member of the department since Jan 2, 1942, appointed sergeant, replacing
Gordon Gerth on the day shift. Gerth appointed
lieutenant, replacing the late Lt. Herbert C. Eisfeldt
1968 Police Cushman Scooters
01 17
Officer Floyd Miller and Police Chief Mann
Two enclosed Cushman three wheeled motor scooters were
placed in service, to be used in checking parking meters and non-metered
parking areas.
1968 Watertown's first meter maid
Barbara
[Donald] Lee Wiese: Employed 04/01/1968
to 03/08/74. Graduate of Oostberg High School and attended the U of WI-Oshkosh. As meter maid she patrolled the city's parking
meters for improper and overtime parking.
Also assumed duties of police matron for women
prisoners.
1960s, late
Department baseball team, late
1960s
1971
03 09 Death of Chief Marlyn Mann. Inspector
Clarence Tessmann appointed temp chief.
1971-1979 Gerald P. Donovan, Chief of Police
1971c
Bob Webster,
Communications Rm, New City Hall
1972 Interior views of department
facilities
1975c
Officer Bob Webster, S Second and
Market streets
1977
Bicycle
safety and Cub Scouts of St. Henry's.
1977 John Crandall retired August 1979.
1978 First women join Police Reserve
01 26
Caroline Fischer and Barbara Locke
1980-1993 Richard L. Reynolds, Chief of Police
1984
08 08 Officer Timothy
Roets; named Jaycee Outstanding Young Law
Enforcement Officer WDT
09 17 Lt.
Schumann graduates from FBI Academy
Watertown
Police Lieutenant Lavern E. Schumann was one of 250 police officers from around
the world to graduate last week from the 138th session of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation National Academy. The
degree represents 11 weeks of executive-level training including coursework in
police management, ethics, law, urban police problems and behavioral
sciences. Schumann joined the Watertown
Police Department in 1968 and in 1979 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Later in the same year he was promoted to the
rank of lieutenant. WDT
1985
04 29 Lt. Michael Besel offered position of Chief of Police, city of
Jefferson WDT
12 19 Officer
Robert W. Webster received a ring for his 25 years of continuous service; Police
Chief
Richard L. Reynolds; Watertown Police
Dept Christmas party
Officer Larry Schultz, left, received a
lapel pin for his 15 years of service.
1986 First female police officer
01 06 The first female
police officer began her duties on Jan. 6, 1986. Miss Marcie Jo Repta is a native of Milwaukee. She has a bachelor of science degree with a major in criminal justice
from the UW-Platteville. The new officer
attended 320 hours of recruit training at Waukesha County Technical Institute
and upon completion of that training she was assigned to the 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
shift. Repta
filled a vacancy created by the resignation of Mark Neuman.
He resigned on Nov. 22 to accept a similar position in his hometown of Beaver
Dam. WDT
07 30 Mark Meddaugh,
a West Allis resident, has been appointed to the position of patrolman. Meddaugh will
attend recruit training for state certification at Waukesha County Technical
School and upon completion will be assigned to the midnight to 8 a.m.
shift. Appointment is effective
today. The new officer replaces officer Mark Murphy, who resigned effective July 12 to
accept a position with the Madison Police Department. Murphy, who also worked the midnight shift,
had been with the department since September 1979. WDT
1987
08 04
Police Auxiliary 15 members
12
12 Resa Scobie Brunner murder;
Matthew Knapp charged WDT full text
article
1990
12 31
Bob Webster retirement
1992
The Fire Department worked with Police Chief Richard
Reynolds on the recommendation to make the 911 dispatch center the single
contact point for all incoming and outgoing emergency information. Riedl, Ken, Watertown
Fire Department: 1858-2007, 2007, pg 364
1993 Reynolds retirement
Concluded
35-years of law enforcement
1993-2008 Charles S. McGee, Chief of Police
Watertown’s 9th Chief of Police

1994 New department logo
1995 New logo on three newest squad cars
1995 Expansion of police bike patrol program
1997
10 17 Safe and Sober traffic safety campaign,
grant received WDT
Police Auxiliary,
1997
Plaque presented to Capt. Bill Connor
Appreciation for 40 years of dedicated
service, Watertown Auxiliary
Police, 1957-97
1998
12 10
Police
train with new Colt AR-15 automatic weapons
12 19 A new Watertown Police Dept would be
constructed near the high school, plan proposed
WDT
1999
02 03 Inspector Larry Sukow,
30 year veteran, retiring WDT
03 21 $5 million cap on a new police facility and
renovations to municipal building WDT
04 03 Police facility on High School land;
option allowed construction of WDT
05 12 Timothy
J. Roets appointed deputy chief of police WDT
July Lights ‘n Sirens Community Safety Fair. First of what would become an annual event WDT
10 06 Police station does not meet national and
legal requirements WDT
2000
02 16 Officer Marcie Repta
elected president of Wisconsin Association of Women Police WDT
03 31 Hero Recognition
4-year-old calls 911,
saves mother’s life
05 12 Citizen's Police Academy
Capt Tom Killmon, Deputy Chief Tim Roets, Chief Charles McGee, Capt Mark Meddaugh
06 13 Police Department K-9 Unit Formed
Officer
Tim Engel / Police canine Bakko 
06 17 Vandals at Watertown Parks—The
city is shelving for this year the idea of hiring an auxiliary police patrol
to keep a lookout for vandals at Watertown parks. “It is not going to happen. There is no money budgeted for it this year,”
said Park and Recreation Director John Steber. But the patrol could become a reality in
2001. “We will review with the police
department what measures can be taken and addressed in the 2001 budget about
possibly providing park security next year,” Steber
said this week. WDT
06 17 Auxiliary Police patrol for parks
shelved WDT
06 28
Police Auxiliary, 2000, 12
members
10 12 Mark
E. Meddaugh
A veteran police officer of over
14 years has been selected to head the Operations Bureau of the Watertown
Police Department. Sgt. Mark E. Meddaugh, who currently supervises the Investigative
Division, was approved for promotion to the rank of captain by the Police and
Fire Commission at its meeting Monday. Meddaugh fills a vacancy created by the promotion of Tim Roets to deputy chief.
Meddaugh began his career with the Watertown
Police Department in July of 1986 as a patrol officer. He was later transferred to investigations
and was promoted to sergeant in February of 1991. As a former D.A.R.E. instructor, Meddaugh is well-known and respected by the children in the
community. In March of 1999 Meddaugh graduated from the 196th session of the FBI
National Academy in Quantico, Va. WDT
2001
04 25 Two veteran Watertown police officers
have been promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Timothy O. Engel, who is credited with starting the department’s police
canine police program in 1998, will be assigned to the uniform services
division. He will continue his duties as
canine handler. Andrew R. Gee,
nationally recognized as the WeTip Law Enforcement
Officer of the Year, also will be assigned to the uniform services
division. WDT
2005
April Retirement of Bakko,
Department’s first police canine.
2007
03 21 Lights ‘n Sirens, plans for announced WDT
2008
03 31
Back packets program
08 13
Chief McGee honored at retirement
09 17 Tim Roets, Chief of Police
Tim Roets sworn in as new Police Chief WDT, 09 17 2008
“At no other time in my career is it more important to engage and partner
with our citizens, solve problems and keep Watertown a great place to
live. The beauty and balance of our
democracy can be seen clearly, thanks to the willing cooperation of our public
and a dedicated team of support staff.
We are able police our city of 23,000 people with 39 officers on a 24
hour a day basis. Not
as a controlling force, but instead as part of the community.”
10 06 Haroon Khan murder, Travis Zoellick implicated
in the student's death WDT full text
article
12 31 Curtis J. Kleppin
promoted from sergeant to captain WDT
2009
01 06 Officer Mike Kumbier, “The Elvis Cop,” retired WDT
01 29 McGruff
the Crime Dog, new costume WDT
03 18 Tom Killmon,
former Watertown police Capt., recognition
WDT
03 24 Watertown Police Dept
join Wisconsin
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
05 05 Bakko,
the police canine; died, began service in 2000 WDT
05 14 Blue and White Sunday proclaimed WDT
06 25 Jeremy Lingle
hired to fill vacant officer position WDT
08 01 M&I
Bank silent auction to benefit Police K-9 Unit
WDT
08 06 2009 Citizen Police Academy,
applications for WDT
08 21 Scott Kind hired as new police
officer WDT
08 21 Adult School Crossing Guards sought WDT
Fall Police explorer program for local
teens WDT
08 25 Truancy Abatement Program. Watertown
Moravian Church recently made a donation, which is a cooperative effort
between the Watertown Unified School District and Police Department to curb
truancy in the middle and grade schools
WDT
09 15 Charles Hensen hired as new police officer WDT
10 14 Auxiliary officer Dan Zindars
retired WDT
11 04 Two new squad cars, resolution WDT
2010
01 08 Premise Alert System (PAS) introduced WDT
01 22 Ryan Abbott hired as new police officer WDT
01 27 Police dept space problem, municipal bldg
renovation, three police/fire precincts WDT
05 11
Department photo
09 02 Officers Stacy Schroeder
and Dave Gilbert, D.A.R.E./crime prevention assignments WDT
09 02 Technology
update. Department received a grant to fund the
purchase of 10 laptop computers, printers and mounting brackets to equip 10
squad cars. Mandated traffic stop data
collection requirement effective Jan. 1, 2011.
In 2009 local police officers hand wrote out 2,485 traffic citations,
798 municipal citations, 2,240 parking citations and 671 traffic crash reports. WDT
09 07
Physical
Fitness Award, 5-year pin
10 27
Jonathan Wehner
hired as new officer
11 09
“Scams—How to Protect Yourself” Officer
Stacy Schroeder
2011
03 07
K-9 unit, attempt to restart
04 13 Lyle A Shaiken,
1929-2011, former officer
11 02 2011-12
union contract adopted
File
on city jail
Fuermann Brewery,
Police Dept occupies former site of
UNKNOWNS
005_WPD_048
005_WPD_049
005_WPD_050
005_WPD_030 / after 1968 / need year and id
WHS_005_WPD_080 First Watertown Police motorcycle that
Watertown PD had. Officer
and year unknown.
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