`
website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown Police Department website
Portfolio of
pictures <> UNDER CONSTRUCTION
2000-present SECTION
ON HISTORY OF
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1950-1999 section Other Segments
Beginning section
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History of the
Watertown Police Department
Serving the community
since 1853
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 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
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
2002
03 18 CITY
HALL EXPANSION AND RENOVATION / Watertown Municipal Building
07 20 RESPONSIBILITY FOR STATE HIGHWAY 16
BYPASS
The
Watertown Police Department will have sole responsibility for patrolling and
enforcing the speed limit on the state Highway 16 bypass north of Watertown
following approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the Dodge County
Board of Supervisors. The Watertown
Common Council approved the agreement last month. The police will patrol and respond to
accidents on the entire bypass. Previously, the sheriff’s department had
control over enforcing the speed and accidents that occurred on the bypass west
of Boulder Road. WDT
2003
08 29 MOBILE RADIOS
Watertown
police and fire departments have received mobile radios enhancing communication
abilities with other agencies. The
radios, purchased through a $56,501 Homeland Security Grant, went into service
this week. Deputy Police Chief Tim Roets
said his department received seven new units valued at $4,542. “The radios allow our marked squad cars the
ability to communicate directly with deputies in Dodge and Jefferson counties,”
he said. “It also allows, to a degree,
the ability to talk with the state patrol.”
One radio is installed in the supervising sergeant’s car and the
remaining six are in patrol squad cars.
Roets said there are eight marked cars total, so only one doesn’t have a
radio. WDT
Deputy Chief Tim Roets, Captain
Tom Killmon, Chief Charles McGee, Retired Lt. Vern Schumann, Retired Inspector
Larry Sukow.
09 07 SILVER TOOTH FOR BAKKO
They
say a dog’s bark is worse than his bite.
However, that’s not the case when man’s best friend has a titanium
tooth. Watertown Police Department’s
sole K-9 unit, Bakko, underwent a procedure to repair a cracked tooth. The final result, an implanted silver
tooth. When the 100-pound German
shepherd came to the station in 2000 the problem was irritated during a
training exercise, according to Bakko’s handler, Sgt. Tim Engel. But Bakko, one of the few police dogs in the
state to have an implant, is lucky. When
local dentist Dr. Robert Long heard about the need, Long volunteered his time
and talent and recruited a few others to help.
WDT
Dec DISPATCH CENTER
Dispatchers
Diana Monaghan and Jill Petig
2005
April Retirement of Bakko,
Department’s first police canine.
06 25 RANDY JOHNSON PROMOTED TO
SERGEANT
Randall
D. Johnson, a veteran police officer with over eight years of experience with
the Watertown Police Department, has been promoted to the rank of
sergeant. Johnson began his career with
the Watertown Police Department on Feb. 3, 1997. He is a graduate of Middleton High School and
earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology in 1995 from the
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. As a
member of the Uniform Services Division, he served as field training and bike
patrol officers. Johnson spent four
years assigned to the Jefferson County Drug Task Force and was most recently
assigned to the Investigative Division.
He has received numerous commendations for his work over the years and
has been actively involved as a mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
2006
04 06 RODNEY WIELAND RETIREMENT
Longtime
police officer Rodney A. Wieland has announced his retirement from the
Watertown Police Department. After
serving as an officer for the Mineral Point Police Department for two years,
Wieland completed nearly 26 years of dedicated service to the Watertown
community. According to Chief McGee,
Wieland was the longest serving patrol officer, having spent his entire career
in patrol. “Rod will be greatly missed,” he added. “His experience, street
savvy and skills are not things that we simply replace overnight.”
07 11 S.A.W.
(STUDENTS ARE WATCHING)
School
Resource Officer Phil Neidner of the Watertown Police Department was one of
several members of state law enforcement who were honored Friday at the annual
WeTip award ceremony in Milwaukee.
Neidner was presented with the school resource officer of the year award
for creating a crime prevention program called S.A.W., or Students are
Watching. S.A.W. is a school-based
program designed to encourage students to come forward anonymously and report
crimes that have either been committed or will be committed at school. WDT
2007
03 21 LIGHTS ‘n SIRENS PLANS FOR 2007
One of
Watertown’s most popular summertime events, Lights ‘n Sirens, will be held at Riverside
Park on Thursday, July 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Planning is under way for the eighth annual community safety fair. This is a good opportunity for both children
and adults to get “up close and personal” with local safety professionals. The event is intended to promote injury
prevention through education and provides the community the chance to meet with
public safety personnel in a relaxed setting.
The event is sponsored by Watertown Area Health Services, Watertown
Family Center, Watertown Police Department and Watertown Fire Department. WDT
03 28 NATIONAL ACADEMY GRADUATE
Sgt.
Robert W. Kaminski, a 16-year veteran with the Watertown Police Department,
graduated this month from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy
Program at Quantico, Va. The 228th
session of the National Academy consisted of men and women from 48 states, the
District of Columbia, 23 international countries, four military organizations
and five federal civilian organizations.
Since 1948 six other Watertown police officers have graduated from the
FBI National Academy. Kaminski joins three other current graduates: Chief
Charles McGee, Deputy Chief Timothy Roets and Capt. Mark Meddaugh. WDT
06 07 ANDREW GEE NEXT POLICE CHIEF
OF MINOCQUA
Sgt. Andrew Gee of the Watertown
Police Department has been chosen as the next police chief of Minocqua. The Minocqua Town Board selected Gee to fill
the position last week after conducting interviews with five candidates from
four states. Gee, a native of the Minocqua area, must first
pass a battery of psychological tests and a thorough background check before
being appointed the new chief. Gee and
the town board must also come to terms on a contract. Because board members are requiring the new
chief to live within a 10-minute response time of downtown Minocqua, Gee will
have to move to the area if he receives the job.
07 12 ANDREW GEE OFFICIALLY HIRED
Sgt. Andrew Gee of the Watertown Police
Department has been officially hired as the new police chief of Minocqua. Gee said his first day on the job as Minocqua
police chief will be on Aug. 1 and his last day with the Watertown Police
Department has been tentatively set for July 31. Gee, a native of the Minocqua area, will
replace Minocqua's current chief, Norbert "Mac" McMahon, who is
retiring.
12 09 CHIEF CHARLES MCGEE TO RETIRE
Watertown
Police Chief Charles McGee has announced his plans to retire from his position
after completing 15 years with the local department and over 35 years in law
enforcement. In a letter written on
Monday to Watertown Police and Fire Commission President Steve Hepp, McGee said
he intends to retire as the chief of police near the beginning of August 2008.
12 16 GANG ACTIVITY IN
WATERTOWN
“Watertown
has gangs,” Watertown police Sgt. Katherine Selck said. “The biggest mistake we can do is to say
they’re not here.” Selck gave an update
of gang activity in Watertown, discussed the history of gangs in Watertown and
what parents can do to keep their children out of gangs during a Dialogue for
Student Success meeting Friday morning.
In May the city council adopted an ordinance that graffiti must be
removed on businesses within 72 hours of notice from the police department. Selck said while often gang activity comes in
waves, this fall the police department noticed there was a surge in activity.
2008
02 03 B.A.C.K. PACKETS
Watertown
police officers will be among the many emergency officials in the state to soon
have a new way to comfort children in a crisis. The new program, B.A.C.K.
Packets (Become a Cheerful Kid), involves giving each police officer in
Watertown, and throughout the state, a backpack filled with 10 to 12 new
children’s books to keep in their vehicle. When a police officer is confronted
with a crisis situation involving children, the officer can give the child a
book. “It gives the child a chance to get temporarily out of their situation
and interact with someone else,” Chris Gilbertson, co-founder of With Wings and
a Halo R.E.A.C.H. a Child, said. “Also, it may help turn the child on to
reading for the rest of their lives.”
03 31 Back packets program
04 02 POLICE CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM
The
Watertown Police Department has formed a police chaplaincy program and the Rev.
Mark Moore of St. Paul's Episcopal church
and Pastor Doug Stein of Calvary Baptist
church will be serving the community in this new ministry. According to Deputy Chief Tim Roets, the
police chaplaincy program was launched last week and has been developed
following the guidelines established by the International Conference of Police
Chaplains. "Sometimes police
officers are called into situations where they sense a spiritual counselor
would be helpful," said Roets, who also serves as the program
coordinator. "For this reason, the
Watertown Police Department joined forces with local clergy members to form
this program." The police chaplains
will be available on a 24-hour basis to offer support to residents in need,
which includes comforting grieving families during death notifications and
assisting police during other traumatic incidents. WDTimes
article
06 08 TIM
ROETS OFFERED CHIEF POSITION
Deputy Chief Tim Roets of the Watertown Police
Department has been offered the job as the city's next police chief, according
to Watertown Police and Fire Commission President Steve Hepp. Police and fire commission members conducted
the last of their interviews in closed session Tuesday afternoon and offered
the position to Roets shortly after they reconvened into open session. Roets, who accepted the chief position
Tuesday, still needs to pass a background check and a psychological test before
he is officially given the job. Roets
would succeed current police Chief Charles McGee, who announced his plans to
retire in December 2007. McGee's last day at the police department will be Aug.
8.
08 13 CHIEF MCGEE HONORED AT
RETIREMENT
Former Watertown police
Chief Chuck McGee was honored at a retirement dinner this week at the Watertown
Elks Lodge. A number of people in law
enforcement, city employees and friends of McGee attended the reception and
dinner which were followed by a short program.
McGee’s last day as Watertown’s police chief was Friday. He has served as chief of the local
department since being hired by the Watertown Police and Fire Commission back
in June of 1993 when he succeeded Richard Reynolds. McGee is being succeeded as chief by former
deputy Chief Tim Roets. A number of
people offered comments at the dinner commemorating McGee and in addition, the
chief was presented with plaques and gifts from those attending.
09 17 TIM ROETS, CHIEF OF POLICE
Tim Roets sworn in as new Police Chief WDT, 09 17 2008
Tim Roets was officially sworn in as the chief
of the Watertown Police Department during Tuesday’s common council meeting as
his family stood by his side. “This is a
special day and I thank those present for being here to share it with me and my
family,” Roets said soon after his wife, Cheryl, pinned his new chief badge on
his chest following the swearing in process.
“This promotional ceremony is not about me,
but instead it’s about the position, our department and what we represent,” he
added. “It is a public trust. Trust is important in all professions, but it’s
essential in law enforcement.” Roets
also said that he will practice his profession responsibly, honestly,
passionately and always with the keen awareness of the trust that has been
placed in him by those in the community and those he leads.
“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
Officer
Mike Kumbier, affectionately dubbed “The Elvis Cop,” will be
retiring. Kumbier’s appearance, which includes black hair
trained in an Elvis-style pompadour and pork chop sideburns, has led more than
one motorist to do a double take.
A 1977
graduate of Watertown High School, Kumbier began his career with the
Watertown Police Department on June 14, 1982, after serving in the United
Stated Marine Corps.
During
his almost three decades with the department, Kumbier worked each of
the three shifts and served a four-year tour as a police school resource
officer. He also served the department as a state certified
emergency vehicle operation instructor.
On Oct. 14, 1997, he was awarded the department’s Life Saving Award for
saving the life of an elderly man by using CPR. During the course of
his career, Kumbier received 10 letters of commendation for
meritorious service to the citizens of Watertown.
01 29 McGruff the Crime Dog,
new costume WDT
02 21 CAPT.
KILLMON RETIREMENT
Capt. Tom
Killmon, a longtime member of local law enforcement, has retired from
the Watertown Police Department after serving the community for almost 34
years. Killmon was hired as a police
officer with the Watertown Police Department on Oct. 13, 1975. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in
February of 1980, to lieutenant in June of 1985 and to his current rank of
captain in May of 1998. During his
tenure with the police department, Killmon has been the recipient of nine
formal letters of commendation for noteworthy accomplishments. He also served as a Wisconsin-certified firearms
instructor for 30 years and was well respected for his teaching style and
knowledge of tactical firearms training.
03 18 KILLMON RECOGNITION
Former Watertown
police Capt. Tom Killmon was recently named the 2008 Legion Post 189 and
Jefferson County Legion Police Officer of the Year. Killmon recently
retired from the Watertown Police Department after 33 years of
service. He was nominated for the award by police Chief Tim Roets
because of his selfless dedication to the citizens of Watertown.
03 24 Watertown Police Dept
join Wisconsin
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
04 17 KAMINSKI AND SCHROEDER
PROMOTED
The
Watertown Police Department recently promoted two officers to supervisory
ranks. Robert Kaminski, a 17-year
department veteran, has been promoted from sergeant to captain and Steven
Schroeder, who's been with the department for over
five years, has been promoted from police officer to sergeant. Kaminski began his career with the Watertown
Police Department on July 8, 1991.
During his tenure, Kaminski has served as a field training officer,
detective and sergeant. He is currently
a certified professional communications and police ethics instructor. Kaminski is a graduate of Milwaukee Tech High
School and earned an associate's degree from Madison Area Technical College in
police science in 1990 and a bachelor's degree from Excelsior College in
2009. He is a 2007 graduate of the 228th
Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
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
08 24 REVITALIZED K-9 PROGRAM PROPOSED
Since
February of this year, the Watertown Police Department has been aggressively
working on a comprehensive strategic visioning process designed to positively
steer the department in the right direction for years to come. Early on in this process, it was made clear
there was an overwhelming support from police personnel that the department
should have a canine unit, according to Watertown police Capt. Curtis
Kleppin. Although there has been no
formal response from the community regarding a revitalized K-9 program, many
members of the community informally have come forward willing to donate funds
in support of such an undertaking, Kleppin said.
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
03 21 PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP-OFF
BOX
Police Dept, in cooperation with UW
Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center, installed box in lobby of
the department.
04 13 LYLE A SHAIKEN,
1929-2011, former officer
11 02 2011-12
union contract adopted
11 09 Run from the Cops (3rd
annual) raised $11,320 for People Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse WDT
2012
Citizen Police Academy
members
01 15 DETECTIVE JONATHAN CAUCUTT HONORED
The Dodge
County Executive Law Enforcement Association honored heroes and leaders,
recognizing corrections officers, police officers, support staff and
citizens. Watertown Police Detective
Jonathan Caucutt was named The Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Watertown Chief Tim Roets nominated Caucutt
for his work on internet crimes against children. Caucutt's work has led to the arrest of three
men in the past year who were preying on children. In addition, he provided 18 public education
sessions about internet safety. "We
in law enforcement, when we take the oath don't expect to get thanked,"
Caucutt said. He thanked his fellow
officers for assisting with investigations and Chief Roets for committee
resources to internet crimes against children.
01 16 MARK MEDDAUGH AND SUE ROE RECOGNIZED
Two
members of the Watertown Police Department will be recognized at the Jefferson
County Chiefs and Sheriff Association's annual banquet on Jan. 18. Capt. Mark Meddaugh will be receiving the
President's Award and records clerk Sue Roe will be accepting the Support
Person of the Year Award.
Meddaugh
began his career with the Watertown Police Department on July 31,1986. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant on
Feb. 24, 1991, and captain on Oct. 15, 2000.
He is a graduate of the 196th Session of the FBI National Academy held
in Quantico. Va. Meddaugh is also a
state-certified police ethics instructor and professional communications
instructor. Throughout his career,
Meddaugh has received 15 formal letters of commendation and the department's
fitness award for passing a physical test for five consecutive years. Meddaugh has worked every uniform patrol
watch along with an extensive assignment in the investigations bureau. He was also one of the department’s early
DA.R.E. officers. In addition, Meddaugh
was instrumental in bringing the school resource officer program to
Watertown. Meddaugh has also spent
countless hours addressing the increase of domestic violence incidents in the
community. In response to this problem,
Meddaugh started an annual 5K run in 2009 known as “Run from the Cops.” which
was designed to bring attention to the complexities of domestic violence and to
raise much needed funds for domestic violence advocates in Jefferson
County.
Roe has
served as the Watertown Police Department's record clerk for the past 22
years. She is responsible for overseeing
all of the reports within the local police department. In 2010 Roe processed 1,036 public records
requests, which does not include inquiries for reports by other law enforcement
agencies, probation and parole offices, district attorney offices, social
services and military recruiters. Roe is
also responsible for court notifications for department officers. In 2011. Roe introduced and was instrumental
in launching the Tax Refund Interception Program to assist in collecting unpaid
parking fines. She conducted a
considerable amount of research with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
Watertown Municipal Court and the Watertown city clerk prior to implementing
the TRIP program. The program allows the
city to collect unpaid parking fines from vehicle owners by intercepting state
tax returns before they are sent out.
02 25 BARTENDER AWARENESS COURSE
Police
Dept will offer a bartender awareness course in the attempt to work together
with licensed establishments in the goal to help all reach a 100 percent
success rate in police alcohol compliance checks.
04 24 SHOOTING RANGE PROPOSED for use by
police dept
The
Watertown Plan Commission granted a conditional use permit to allow a retail
gun dealership and a shooting range to open at 209 E. Main St [Schempf Bldg].
The new business would be called Martz’ Muzzlez Range and Dealership. In the
initial phase, the business is planning on opening the firing range, retail
space and a member’s lounge. The company
also plans on renovating the second floor to open an education center for gun
safety and training classes, advanced laser ranges for police training and a
gunsmith shop. “This will be a safe and
sound business and is a well needed facility in the city, not just for outdoor
shooters, but for the police department as well.” WDT
05 16 EMS WEEK declared
Mayor
Ron Krueger declared the week of May 20 through May 26 to be Emergency Medical
Services Week in Watertown. According to
the proclamation, emergency medical services is a vital public service whose
providers are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the
survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or
injury. WDT
07 12 KAREN MILLER
honored with state law enforcement award
Watertown
Police Department Administrative Assistant Karen
Miller received the 2012 Project Champion Award from the Wisconsin Law
Enforcement Administrative Professionals Association. Miller has been an employee of the Watertown Police
Department for 12 years. She has been
the administrative assistant for the past nine years. Police Chief Tim Roets said Miller has been
essential in two department projects in the last year. Miller was selected to represent the
department support staff and served as a conduit between management and the
employees after the communications center union was dismantled.
Miller was also selected to
lead an IT (information technology) support search committee to help the
department find a new vendor, according to Roets. He added she hit all of her deadlines in
finding a new vendor and helped to significantly upgrade, stabilize and protect
the city’s IT network. WDT
07 17 ICE, LOCAL POLICE ARREST 7
The Watertown
Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland
Security Investigations unit arrested seven foreign-born individuals identified
as gang members. The police department
worked cooperatively with the federal agencies to identify local gang members
and criminals who are in the United States illegally and involved in criminal
enterprises in the Watertown area.
ICE's
Enforcement and Removal Operations icoordinated the detention and deportation
of the aliens to their home countries. A
similar Community Shield Operation was conducted last August in Watertown.
Seven foreign-born individuals identified as gang members were also arrested
and deported in that operation. WDT
08 08 GRANT FOR RIVERFEST BUSES
Department
awarded a grant of $6,975 to provide buses to transport people who have
consumed alcohol at the four-day Riverfest celebration. On average, 25,000 to 30,000 people attend
the event and 450 to 500 barrels of beer are sold during the festival. With the grant funding, buses will safely
transport citizens from 11 a.m. to midnight daily during the event. WDT
Sept FREE IPHONE APP TO REPORT CRIMES
The
Watertown Police Department is announcing a new free iPhone App to report
suspicious activities in neighborhoods, drug activity and general crime tips to
the police. This new iPhone app will now
be the third way citizens are able to report suspicious crimes or crime tips to
the department. Citizens can still log
onto the department's website, www.watertownpolice.com,
and report crime tips or tips can be sent through texting on their cellular
phones by texting 847-411 then entering "wttn" as their keyword
before sending their tip.
Starting
today a third method of reporting crimes tips can be sent through an iPhone
app. All tips received are received
anonymously by the department and are immediately received by officers at the
department. Community members with i
Phones are encouraged to visit the Apple App Store and searched "WPD
Tips"
When
citizens get involved and report suspicious activities it helps keep their
neighborhoods safer. Since 2011 the
Watertown Police Department has received 54 tips from the Tip 411 Program (text
tips) ranging from abandon vehicles to drug activity and burglary tips. The Watertown Police Department appreciates
citizens sending these tips to keep our community a safe place to live and
work.
The new
iPhone app will now make reporting crime tips even more convenient for
community members. This service is provided by Citizen Observer.
One can
also sign up for text and/or email alerts from the City of Watertown by signing
up at www.citizenobserver.com or www.watertownpolice.com.
09 19 OFFICER ROBERT HEIMERL
The Watertown Police Department announced the
hiring of Robert Heimerl to serve as the newest officer in the department. Heimerl is a 2008 graduate of the University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh majoring in criminal justice. He served in the United States Marine Corps
from June 2008 to November 2011 during which time he completed a tour in
Afghanistan. Heimerl was honorably
discharged in 2011 at the rank of first lieutenant. He completed the police academy at Milwaukee
Area Technical College’s Oak Creek Campus in April of this year. Heimerl has been assigned to the Uniform
Services Bureau and will be completing a 16-week field training program prior
to working solo patrol.
09 12 Police Academy Alum Kiss the Pig fund raiser.
10 25 POLICE EXPLORERS
The
Watertown Police Explorers held a fundraiser to support American Family
Children's Hospital at Watertown Regional Medical Center. The Explorers, who consist of 14- to
21-year-olds, get opportunities to participate in some hands-on law enforcement
experiences and community volunteering opportunities.
10 26 MARCIE REPTA
Retirement: First woman police
officer
2013
04 06 The Watertown Police Explorers competed in the
Bay-Lakes Council Law Enforcement Exploring Competition in Appleton,
WI. The Explorers participated in four
events of domestic resolution, vehicle contacts, crime scene investigation and
open door/room clearing. There were also
two optional events of a physical agility test and a law test. The Watertown Police Explorers came home with
a second place finish in crime scene investigation, missing first place by one
point! Congratulations to Jessica
Rynearson, Jordan Learned, Cody Butler and Justin Wilke.
06 28 WISCONSIN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCREDITATION
The
Watertown Police Department has become the 20th law enforcement agency in the
state of Wisconsin to earn accreditation status through the Wisconsin Law
Enforcement Accreditation Group. The
award recognition will take place at the start of the Watertown City Council
meeting on July 2 at 7 p.m. WILEAG board secretary, Chief Robert Rosch of the
village of Hartland, will present the certificate of recognition. Police Chief Tim Roets said in a release the
accreditation helps standardize the department’s practice.
“Being
an accredited agency creates uniformity and continuity in the manner in which
we conduct business. The process promotes a culture of professionalism and
integrity within our department. By
adopting the WILEAG standards we are able to diminish issues of liability,
provide guidelines for police officers to successfully complete a complex and
ever changing job while still affording the use of proper discretion when
serving the citizens.”
Roets
praised the work of Capt. Curt Kleppin, who served as the department’s
accreditation manager. WDT
article
11 13 LIFE SAVING AWARDS TO OFFICERS
Common Council
Proceeding: Police Chief Tim Roets presented Life Saving Awards to Officers
Weiner and Peters, related to the September 3, 2013 incident with Mrs. Edna
Delair, in which they were on the scene and performed CPR until Fire Department
personnel arrived. Mayor David expressed
his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Fire Fighters and Police Officers
for the jobs well done at these incidents.
2014
01 09 POLICE
HONOR CROSSING GUARDS
The Watertown Police Department
participates in the statewide Wisconsin Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition
Week, Jan. 13-17. The Watertown Police
Department has 13 dedicated adult crossing guards that are responsible for nine
school crossing locations, according to a release from the department. Next week, students are encouraged to
recognize their guard in some manner, even if it is just saying thank you as
they cross. The department also said it
would like to remind drivers that laws require them to not only stop as
children cross but to remain stopped until the guard has returned to the curb.
Guards indicate that it is not uncommon for drivers to begin to move as soon as
children have passed their vehicles.
01 29 GORDON
GERTH, 1922–2014
03 27 ANNUAL
BIKE RODEO
The Watertown Police Department is hosting its 21st annual Bicycle Rodeo
this summer on June 14 at the Watertown High School. Chickens Unlimited has been a generous
supporter of the bicycle rodeo for many years and this year is no exception. On
March 20, Tom Godfroy and Jerry of Hepp of Chickens Unlimited donated money to
the Watertown Police Department in support of the bike rodeo. The donation will
be used to educate children on bicycle safety.
The Watertown Police Department is thankful to all businesses and civic
groups like Chickens Unlimited for their generous donations that have helped
keep this program running for 21 years.
April CHIEF ROETS VISITS
STORYTIME JAMBOREE
04 14 OFFICER SCOTT KIND’S QUICK ACTION helps
residents get out during fire
No one was injured in a small
fire at the Washington Inn, 516 E. Main
St. Officer Scott Kind was at the hotel
at approximately 10 p.m. doing a verification check at the inn when he smelled
smoke in the building, followed the smoke to a room that was unoccupied, alerted
the fire department and other police officers and began an evacuation. The building did not have a fire alarm
system; there was a smoke detector in the room where the fire began, but it was
not working at the time of the fire. A smoke detector in the hallway was
working. It is believed that the fire
was started by a candle on the floor next to the sofa in the room. Emergency officials also evacuated the
Firecracker Pub which shares a building with the Washington Inn. Video
Clip
04 21 “RUN FROM THE COPS” 5K run/walk
Chickens Unlimited recently presented a check to the Watertown Police Deparatment for
their annual “Run from the Cops” 5K run/walk. The run/walk will take place Oct.
4 to raise awareness and support for victims of domestic violence
04 25 ANNUAL REPORT, POLICE DEPT.
The
Watertown Police Department dispatch center received 24,115 calls for service
in 2013, according to the department's annual police report. The service call number includes officer
initiated calls to report activities and fire permit calls. The most common calls generated by the public
were fire and EMS calls with 2,278, followed by 1,144 disorderly conduct
complaints, 581 animal complaints, 552 calls for suspicious acts, 501 bad
driving complaints and 440 car accidents.
The most common calls initiated by officers were traffic stops with
4,243 reported, followed by 1,181 door checks, 984 bar checks, 853 school
enforcement actions, 815 welfare checks, 681 parking complaints and 528 warrant
arrests.
Police
officers reported 1,379 adult arrests in 2013. That was down from 1,648 in 2012
and 1,811 in 2011. The department reported
368 juvenile arrests in 2013 which was up 15 from 2012. The city saw the lowest rate of index crimes,
with 669 reported in 2013, in the last three years. An index crime is an FBI
classification for violent and other serious property crimes. The number of
index crimes reported in 2013 are as follows. . . .
Full
text, WDTimes
story
05 07 DAVID J. BROWER AND BENJAMIN S. OLSEN
PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT
Brower began his law enforcement
career with the Watertown Police Department on Jan. 28, 2001, according to a
release from the department. He is a
graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and public administration. During his tenure with the department, Brower
served as a uniformed police officer and as a detective for over 10 years in
the investigations division. He is a
state certified firearms and tactical rifle instructor. He is also a trained
arson investigator and a member of the department’s entry team. Brower is a senior instructor for the police
department and responsible for coordinating a variety of training exercises for
sworn personnel. He is the recipient of
six letters of commendation and the department’s Physical Fitness Award. Brower will be assigned to the uniform
services division.
Olsen began his career with the
Watertown Police Department on Feb. 1, 2007. He is a graduate of Watertown High
School and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from
the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Olsen has served as a uniformed police officer and is currently a
detective in the investigations division. He is a member of the department’s
entry team and is the recipient of two letters of commendation. Olsen will also be assigned to the uniform
services division.
05 08 NEW OFFICERS: MICHAEL ROEHL, IAN KEATS AND JAMES SIMON
Selected after an
arduous hiring process which included written, fitness and psychological
testing. The three new officers, from left to right, are Michael Roehl, Ian
Keats and James Simon.
Roets said
they were selected after an arduous hiring process which included written,
fitness and psychological testing. The recruits were also interviewed and
ranked by members of the Watertown Police and Fire Commission and police
department staff. Each of the applicants received an extensive background
investigation before being selected to fill the vacant positions.
Upon
completing their initial orientation period, the new recruits will enter the
department’s field training program where they will work under the guidance of
a field training officer for 14 weeks. During this time, the recruits will work
each of the department’s shifts and spend introductory time in the
Investigations Bureau and Communications Center.
“These
are three excellent recruits with diverse backgrounds. Each recruit has a high potential to become
an excellent addition to our department. We look forward to them starting our
field training program,” Roets said.
The
three new officers are:
—
Officer James Simon, 27, from Fort Atkinson.
He graduated from UW-Whitewater in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in
health, human performance and recreation. In December 2012, Simon graduated
from the Police Academy at Madison College.
Simon is also a member of the Wisconsin National Guard where he currently
holds the rank of sergeant (E5).
—
Officer Michael Roehl, 40, from Beloit. He attended both Blackhawk Technical
College and UW-Rock County majoring in criminal justice. In August 2012, Roehl graduated from the
Police Academy at Blackhawk Technical College.
Roehl is also a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves and currently holds the
rank of E-3.
—
Officer Ian Keats, 23, from Sun Prairie.
He graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 2013 where he earned a bachelor’s
degree in both criminal justice and Spanish.
In August 2013, Keats graduated from the Police Academy at Madison
College.
05 13 ABBY MARR WINS D.A.R.E. REPORT CONTEST
The 2013-14 second semester D.A.R.E. culmination was a
success with approximately 150 students and family members attending. The graduation took place at the Watertown
High School auditorium and involved Douglas Elementary, St. Henry’s Catholic,
Good Shepherd Lutheran and Schurz Elementary.
D.A.R.E. students complete a report which represents the students’
commitment to remain drug and violence free. The report winner was Abby
Marr. Marr is in Lynn Foelker’s class
from Schurz Elementary School. For
winning the competition, Abby won $50, a D.A.R.E. medal, a pizza party for her
class and a Daren the Lion stuffed animal.
Below is the winning D.A.R.E. report:
“You
have slow reflexes, can’t remember anything you did last night, and can’t walk
straight. What drug have you abused?
Alcohol. Did you get it right? If so, you’ve probably been through D.A.R.E.
yourself. You have yellow teeth, smelly
breath, there are more than 200 harmful chemicals in it, and more that 400,000
Americans die from it each year. What drug
have you abused this time? Tobacco. If you got that one right too, I’m seriously
impressed! Bravo! If you didn’t, that’s
OK because I didn’t either before D.A.R.E.
I’m smarter about drugs and drug abuse.
So I pledge not to use drugs and pledge not to be a bully!
“The
thing I like most about D.A.R.E. is when we did the sobriety test. I felt like I was going to fall over, and I
almost did! I think it was the most fun
because we actually got to try out how it would feel to be intoxicated and what
we have been learning about for the past few months. The experience of wearing the goggles helped
me understand that drugs and alcohol do affect you. I also loved the challenge
of having Daren the Lion around. I am kind of sad I didn’t get to see anyone
dance though.
“The
D.A.R.E. program is more than just about saying no to drugs and alcohol. Using
the steps of Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate will help me in all areas of
my life. I can use the steps to be a better student and better friend
especially when it comes to bullying. I will not be a bystander. I will get
help or tell and adult. Also, I can respond to situations in many different
ways including saying no. I am kind of funny so using humor might be a good
go-to response for me.
“D.A.R.E.
taught me many things, but most importantly it helped me realize that I never
want to disappoint my mom, dad or myself by making poor choices relating to
drugs, alcohol or bullying. I love them too much and wouldn’t want to bring
pain to their lives. My friends are important to me too! That is why I surround
myself with people that share that same interests as me and would respect my
choice to say no to drugs and alcohol. Having gone through D.A.R.E. I am
equipped with the knowledge I need and confidence in knowing that my choice not
to use drugs and alcohol is the right one for me.”
06 04 CAPT. MARK MEDDAUGH RETIREMENT
Police Capt. Mark Meddaugh will be retiring
from the department on June 13 after a long career with the department. Meddaugh began his career with the Watertown
Police Department on July 31, 1986. He
was promoted to the rank of sergeant on Feb. 24, 1991, and captain on Oct. 15,
2000. He is a graduate of the 196th
Session of the FBI National Academy held in Quantico, Va. During his career,
Meddaugh received 15 formal letters of commendation and the department fitness
award for passing the physical test for five consecutive years. Meddaugh worked every uniform patrol watch
along with an extensive assignment in the Investigations Bureau. He was also
one of the department’s early D.A.R.E. officers. In 2011 he received the President’s Award
from the Jefferson County Chief’s and Sheriff Association for his work
combating domestic violence in Watertown.
Meddaugh started an annual 5K run in 2009 titled “Run from the Cops”
designed to bring attention to the complexities of domestic violence and to
raise much needed funding for domestic violence advocates in Jefferson County,
according to the release. WDT
07 08 LIGHTS N SIRENS ANNUAL EVENT
07 25 OFFICER PEDRO GALLEGOS
The Watertown Police Department added a new police
officer to its ranks at a recent swearing in ceremony. Upon completing his initial orientation
period, Pedro Gallegos, 22, of Watertown, will enter the department’s Field
Training Program where he will work under the guidance of a Field Training
Officer for 14-weeks. During this time, he will work each of the department’s
shifts and spend introductory time in the Investigations Bureau and
Communications Center. Gallegos graduated from Waukesha County Technical
College in May 2013 with an associate’s degree in criminal justice. In December
2013, Officer Gallegos graduated from the Basic Police
Recruit Academy also held at WCTC.
In 2010, Gallegos
served as the Watertown Police Department’s first Police Explorer post
president and in that capacity organized all meetings, training sessions, and
community events. The Watertown Explorer Post won awards in statewide
competitions from 2011-2013 in a variety of categories. Gallegos was also the
recipient of the Jefferson County Chief’s and Sheriff Youth of the Year Award
in 2012. Prior to being hired by the Watertown Police Department Officer
Gallegos was employed as a part-time police officer in the city of Jefferson
and as an Auxiliary Officer with the Watertown Police Department.
09 06 OFFICER JERRY JUNG
The Watertown Police Department
added a new police officer to its ranks at a swearing in ceremony. Upon completing his initial orientation
period, Jerry Jung, 22, of Caledonia, will enter the department’s Field
Training Program where he will work under the guidance of a field training officer
for 14 weeks. During this time, he will work each of the department’s shifts
and spend introductory time in the Investigations Bureau and Communications
Center. Jung graduated from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison in May with a bachelor’s degree in legal
studies. On Aug. 29 Jung graduated from the Basic Police Recruit Academy held
at Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Training Academy in Franklin. Completed internships with both the Madison
Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service in Milwaukee where he was praised
by his mentors.
10 14 CAPT. RANDALL JOHNSON
PROMOTED TO BUREAU ADMINISTRATOR
The Watertown Police
and Fire Commission approved the promotion of Sgt. Randall Johnson to the rank
of captain. Johnson will be assigned to
administer the department’s Support Services Bureau, which includes the
investigations division, crime prevention and department training
responsibilities.
Johnson began his
career with the Watertown Police Department on Feb. 3, 1997. He is a graduate
of Middleton High School, and he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in criminal justice and psychology in 1995. While serving as a police officer in the
Uniform Services Division, Johnson was a field training officer and a bike
officer. Johnson also served two separate two year assignments in the
Jefferson County Drug Task Force. On
June 28, 2005, Johnson was promoted to the rank of sergeant, serving on each of
the three department watches. Currently, Johnson is serving as the sergeant in
the Investigative Division. He has received numerous commendations for his work
over the years.
2015
01 08 ERIN
FENDT PROMOTED TO SUPERVISOR
Police Chief Tim Roets recently
announced the promotion of a veteran Watertown police/fire telecommunicator to
a new role as communications supervisor.
Erin Fendt began her telecommunicator career with the Watertown Police
Department on Oct. 11, 2000. Fendt
attended the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha studying criminal justice prior
to joining the department. During her
tenure with the department, Fendt has served as a training officer charged with
training new telecommunicators. She is
the recipient of two letters of commendation.
01 30 OFFICER LUKE
HENSLEY
Hensley
participated in the Army ROTC program while at UW-Stevens Point and is
currently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Wisconsin Army National
Guard. In November 2014, Hensley
graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy at North Central Technical College
in Wausau. He was honored in his academy
class as the top academic student.
Hensley, 23, is from Stevens Point. He graduated from UW-Stevens Point
in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was the recipient of the
Dean’s Distinguished Achievement Award for his accomplishments at the
university.
01 30 OFFICER
MATTHEW LOCHOWITZ
Lochowitz, 23, is from
Oconomowoc. He graduated summa cum laude
from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree
in criminal justice. In August 2014,
Lochowitz graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy at Southwest Wisconsin
Technical College in Fennimore. He was
honored in his academy class as the top academic student.
Each of the
applicants received an extensive background investigation before being selected
to fill the vacant positions. The new recruits are currently in the
department’s field training program where they work under the guidance of a
field training officer for 14 weeks. During this time, the recruits will work
each of the department’s shifts and spend introductory time in the
Investigations Bureau and Communications Center.
03 25 PATRIOT
AWARD RECEIVED
Retired Brig. Gen.
Kerry G. Denson presented the Patriot Award to Watertown Police Chief Tim Roets
in recognition of the department’s support of Jill Petig, a dispatcher and
first sergeant with the Air National Guard.
Petig, a master sergeant for a force support squadron, nominated Roets
for the award, saying the Watertown Police Department has been incredibly
supportive of her military career. She
enlisted in 1994 and has been part of the military ever since, spending two
years and three months in inactive ready reserve. She was active for four
months during the Global War on Terror from September of 2009 to February of
2010. She then made a commitment in December 2010 to become a first
sergeant. WDTimes
article
04 10 KATELYNN ORESHACK HIRE
Finance Committee, March 31, 2015.
1. Approve Dispatcher hiring/Police Department. Motion was made and seconded to
approve the hiring of Katelynn Oreshack as a full-time dispatcher with the
Police Department. Motion passed unanimously.
04 10 SECOND SEMESTER D.A.R.E. AWARDS
The
2014-15 second semester D.A.R.E. culmination was a success with approximately
150 students and family members attending.
The graduation took place Friday at the Watertown High School auditorium
and involved Douglas Elementary, St. Henry Catholic, and Schurz
Elementary. Speakers at the graduation
included Police Chief Timothy Roets, Principle Andy Bare and Mayor John David,
along with a magic show from Glen Gerard.
The second semester D.A.R.E. report winner was Matthew Marchant.
Marchant of Douglas Elementary School.
04 24 EQUIPMENT MOVED FROM OLD SQUAD CARS TO NEW
The committee
approved awarding a contract 10-33 Vehicle Services of Sullivan to move the
equipment from the police department’s old squad cars and install them into the
new squad cars for $1,667.50 per car.
10-33 Vehicle Services of Sullivan is also an electronic dealer for the
Whelen Engineering Company. The police
department uses Whelen products, including sirens and lights, on its squad
cars. 10-33 Vehicle Services would be
able to take care of any warranty issues.
05 19 KRAHN AWARD TO JOHN SCHLOEMER
Police
Chief Tim Roets presented the Krahn Award to John Schloemer. John was nominated by Cindi Braasch. John currently is a pharmacist at the
hospital. He has been a Scout Master for
many years and has also been instrumental in the Drop Box for prescription
drugs located in the Police Department.
He was involved in the development of Chamberland in 1996 and now, the
revitalization of that project. He is
also active with the Aquatic Team and it was pointed out that he was the
individual who wrote the grant for the elevator at City Hall.
05 27 BLUE AND WHITE SUNDAY
On Sunday, May 17, Calvary Baptist Church held its
annual Blue and White Sunday. This Sunday
is set aside each year to honor those men and women who serve in law
enforcement. The Rev. Dr. Bob Loggans
welcomed 50 law enforcement guests as well as the other 500 people in
attendance. The guest speaker for the 9
a.m. service was Chaplain Darryl
Sturgill of the Watertown Police Department. Special recognition was given to Crime
Prevention/ D.A.R.E Officer Stacy
Schroeder for her 13 years of dedicated service. Schroeder was given a plaque and a
Bible. Police Chief Timothy Roets
wholeheartedly recommended Schroeder and praised her for allowing “members of
the public to see the individual behind the uniform and badge.”
06 02 ANNUAL AUCTION DISCONTINUED
The Watertown Police Department will no longer be
holding a city auction, as it has done in years past, for found and unclaimed
property held in the possession of the city.
All found and unclaimed property is now being auctioned off through the
website wisconsinsurplus.com.
06 16 UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY
(UPS)
Review& approve Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
purchase for the Communications Center.
Police Chief Roets was present to explain that with the installation of
the new radio system is drawing a large amount of current from the UPS System
that is currently in place down in the Communications Center in the
basement. As the radio system is used,
it takes up more capacity in the UPS System, which provides uninterrupted
service in case of a power outage for the Radio System, the Communications
Center at City Hall. It provides the
uninterrupted service until the generators can kick in. The system that we have is a bit too
small. It is normally operating at 71%
of capacity, but as the radios are used, it has gone up to 100% of
capacity. Our current UPS machinery is
from Central Power Sources of Amherst, WI.
Chief Roets is recommending that we go with the same company. They give us excellent service and then the
additional UPS System would work seamlessly with the current system that we
have in the Communications Center at the present time. The money to pay for this would come from the
Police Salary Account. He has had
savings there, as he still has one position that is not filled. The money would come from Account# 01- 52-
11- 10. This is something that needs to be done to assure that the radio system
continues to operate seamlessly. Motion
was made by Alderperson Larsen, seconded by Alderperson McFarland to approve
this expenditure and take the money from the Salary Account# 01- 52- 11- 10. Motion passed unanimously. A resolution will be presented. Council
Proceedings
07 27 $6,400
GRANT FOR RIVERFEST BUS TRANSPORTATION
The Watertown Police Department has been awarded a Wisconsin
Department of Transportation grant of $6,400 to provide buses to transport
people attending the 2015 Riverfest celebration. On average 450 to 500 barrels of beer are
sold during the festival. Impaired
drivers leaving the event instead of using a bus are not only a threat to other
motorists but also to the thousands of pedestrians in the area of Riverside
Park who are going to or on their way home from the event. WDT
09 01 POLICE OFFICERS RECOGNIZED
The Watertown Police Department recognizes department police
officers for five and 10 consecutive years of successfully completing the
department's physical fitness qualifications.
Recently, 15 police officers were recognized for the accomplishment. The officers are required to perform annually
the same entry level physical fitness test which prospective police applicants
complete. During the 2015 testing held
in June, a total of 31 of the 38 police officers at the Watertown Police
Department successfully passed the test.
Police officers receiving consecutive year awards
receive a ribbon which is worn on their uniform. Receiving 10-year ribbons were Detective Mike
Beisbier, Sgt. Dave Brower, Detective Jonathan Caucutt, Sgt. Tim Engel, Officer
Karl Johnson, Capt. Randy Johnson, Capt. Robert Kaminski, Officer Christopher
Karnatz, Capt. Curtis Kleppin, Officer Jeff Meloy, Officer Tim Wacker and
Roets. Receiving five-year ribbons were
Officer Ryan Abbott, Officer Laura Bohlman and Officer Jonathan Wehner. WDT
09 03 FIRST CHARITY SOFTBALL
GAME: FIRE DEPT vs. POLICE DEPT
The
Watertown Fire Department will be going head-to-head with the Watertown Police
Department in their first softball game Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Riverside
Park. The game, to be played annually,
will act as a fundraiser for the Watertown Family Center. The public is welcome to attend and is
encouraged to bring donations for the Watertown Family Center. Donations can
include: wipes, snacks, juice, markers, crayons, paper, cleaning supplies, glue
sticks, construction paper, popsicle sticks and money. Donations of diapers
will not be accepted.
09 11 D.A.R.E. AT LEBANON LUTHERAN SCHOOL
Department’s program has begun at
Lebanon Lutheran School.
09 14 OFFICER TERRY ADAMS
The new recruit is Terry J. Adams. Upon completing his initial orientation
period, Adams will enter the department’s field training program where he will
work under the guidance of a field training officer for 14 weeks.
During this time, he will work each of the department’s shifts and spend
introductory time in the Investigations Bureau and Communications Center. Adams, age 23, is from Cobb. He graduated
from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in May with a bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice. On Aug. 27, Adams
graduated from the Basic Police Recruit Academy held at Southwest Wisconsin
Technical College in Fennimore.
10 14 ESGR's (EMPLOYEE SUPPORT OF THE GUARD
AND RESERVE) AWARD
Chief Roets was nominated and
recognized by Officer Roehl for his support of Watertown police officers that
are serving in the Guard or Reserves.
The first in ESGR's (Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve) series
of awards is the Patriot Award. An
employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or
Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors and bosses for support
provided directly to the nominating Service member and his or her family. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made
to support Citizen Warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible
schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and
granting leaves of absence if needed.
12 15 LOCAL STUDENTS GRADUATE OF D.A.R.E.
PROGRAM
12 17 BALLISTIC PROTECTIVE GEAR, RIFLE
LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
2,500 Chickens
Unlimited donation and $100 from Moose Lodge used toward purchase.
12 23 SUPPORTS PEOPLE AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE
(PADA)
Department supports People Against
Domestic Abuse (PADA) the Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy Agency for
Jefferson County, by hosting the annual Run from the Cops 5K/10K run/walk, Kids
Fun Run and Mascot Run. This year’s event had more than 600 participants, and
with the help of sponsors the Watertown Police Department was able to donate
more than $13,100 to PADA.
12 31 2015-ANNUAL-REPORT
2016
02 02 POLICE
ENCRYPT RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
The Watertown Police Department has decided
to encrypt its radio communications sooner than previously expected due to an
increased use of smartphones that are capable of monitoring police
frequencies. The current radio network for
the city, installed in 2015, has always had the encryption option and the
department originally planned to gradually introduce it.
02 02 TELECOMMUNICATOR
POSITION / PURCHASE OF USED VEHICLES
(same date) 3. Consider applicant recommendation for
Telecommunicator position — Motion was made and seconded to recommend the
hiring of Amanda J. Kostroski as a part-time dispatcher for the Police
Department. This motion passed
unanimously. 4. Approve purchase of used vehicles — Police Chief Roets
presented quotes from Countryside Auto Group for three (3) 2015 Chevy Impala
vehicles at a cost of $15,000.00 per vehicle.
Motion was made and seconded to approve the purchase of the three (3)
vehicles for $45,000.00 and to use the remaining $5,000.00 in the budget for
the change outs of the cars. This motion
passed unanimously. Council
proceedings
02 09 PERSONNEL
CHANGES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
ENCRYPTING RADIO FREQUENCIES
The Watertown Police and Fire Commission discussed
personnel changes within the police department.
The department recently filled the position of full-time administrative
assistant after the resignation of Karen Miller. Former part-time investigation secretary for
the department Kathy Ellis will take her place while still assuming some of the
duties of her old position. The department
is also in the process of hiring a full-time dispatcher.
Police Capt. Robert Kaminski informed the commission
of the response the department has received after encrypting their radio
frequencies last month.
03 15 THANK
YOU CARDS DONATED
Council Proceedings of 03 15 2016: Citizen Donation to Police Department. Again, Chief Roets was present to explain
that the Department received some Thank You cards from a group of very civic
minded citizens, who make cards of all types.
They made up a bunch of Thank You cards for all the employees in the
Police Department to thank them for the work that they do for the citizens of
our City. Each Thank You card contained
a gift certificate for $10.00. That has
created a problem as the officers and city employees, in general, cannot accept
gifts like that. The Chief talked to the
woman who was the spokesperson for this group of civic minded citizens and
explained to her that it really was not appropriate to give everyone a gift
certificate. The group agreed to let the
Chief use the money to purchase a microwave for the Police Department. A total of $540.00 was donated to the Police
Department. That money would be used to
purchase the new microwave with some money left over to go into the Police
Department Donations Account to be used for things such as bottled water, to be
given out to employees during the hot summer months. Motion was made to approve the donation of
the microwave and to also thank the group of citizens who made this donation to
the Police Department. This motion was made by Alderperson Smith, seconded by
Alderperson McFarland and passed unanimously.
03 14 SAFE
EXCHANGE SITE, VIDEO CAMERAS AND CTOs PAY
The
creation of safe exchange sites at the municipal building to facilitate online
transactions through websites such as Craigslist was unanimously approved by
the council. Dealings through the Internet often involve strangers, and the
exchange sites aim to provide residents a safe, monitored place to buy and sell
items. The lobby of the police station will serve as one of the sites as will
the parking lot directly in front of the municipal building. Signs designating
the sites will soon be placed in both locations.
Police
Chief Tim Roets said there is already an adequate camera in the police station
lobby but additional cameras are required in the foyer of the municipal
building as well as its exterior entrance facing the parking lot. In addition, the department will be
purchasing another monitor for its communications center to accommodate
additional camera feeds. In all, the
equipment will cost $3,409 and will be funded through the sale of three used
vehicles that the department will sell on Wisconsin Surplus, an online auction
site. The excess funds from the sale of
the vehicles will be returned the city’s general funds. The cameras will be purchased and installed
by Digicorp.
An
increase in pay for police department communications training officers (CTOs)
from $1.50 to $2 per hour. CTOs receive the compensation when they are
performing training duties. The increase will amount to $404 for the 808
training hours expected by the department in 2016.
06 07 BACK-UP
RADIO REPEATER / 2016 KRAHN AWARD
Council
Proceedings: Voted unanimously to
increase the dispatch capital projects account by $21,000 to pay for the
installation of a backup radio repeater for the city’s radio network. The department already has two repeaters
available, but the entire network is located in the basement of the municipal
building. An off-site repeater would act
as a safeguard in the event of an antenna or network failure. Police Chief Tim Roets previously said a
backup would allow all city departments to maintain radio communications in the
event of a such a failure as opposed to the current onsite backup which only allows
for police communications. The repeater
along with other related equipment is planned to be installed on the water
tower on Western Avenue, providing a wider area of coverage than the
alternative, West Street water tower.
Police Chief
Roets presented the 2016 Alfred and Helen Krahn Citizenship Award to Steven
Pierce. He was nominated by Tom
Merfeld. Steven serves on a voluntary
basis helping drug addicts. They work
out of a property located at 110 S. Second Street. There are no paid staff and work is done by
volunteers. Steven thanked the Council
for the award and the $1,000.00 which he stated will go to pay for future rent.
08 03 WILEAG
REACCREDITATION
During the Common Council meeting
Watertown Police Chief Tim Roets was presented a plaque from Chief Robert Rosch
of the Hartland Police Department recognizing the WPD's recent reaccreditation
from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group. WILEAG develops and standardizes law enforcement
standards that aim to promote excellence in policing. Only 28 of Wisconsin's 550 law enforcement
agencies have full accreditation.
08 12 OFFICER
SCHROEDER 2016 D.A.R.E. OFFICER OF THE YEAR
The Wisconsin D.A.R.E. Officers
Association have selected Watertown police Officer Stacy Schroeder as the 2016
D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year from a group of nominations from around the
state. Schroeder was selected by her
peers and recognized at the association’s annual conference at the Oshkosh
Convention Center. Schroeder is a 14-year veteran of the Watertown Police
Department and has taught D.A.R.E. for the last six years.
In his nomination letter, Watertown
police Capt. Randy Johnson said that Schroeder never fails to go the extra mile
and makes a difference in the lives of children of all ages. “The cornerstone of all of our community
programs administered by the Watertown Police Department is the D.A.R.E.
program where Stacy connects with around 300 children each year,” Johnson
wrote. “The foundation of trust which Stacy lays with the D.A.R.E. program is
what leads to future teamwork and problem-solving initiatives with the D.A.R.E.
graduates as they grow and mature.”
The D.A.R.E. Officers Association is a
statewide association which has been in existence since 1989. Schroeder is the first Watertown D.A.R.E.
officer to be selected for this distinguished honor.
08 18 BENJAMIN
MILLER, NEW RECRUIT
Upon completing his initial orientation
period, Miller entered the 720-hour Basic Recruit Academy at Madison Area
Technical College where he is expected to graduate in mid-December of
2016. Miller will then enter the
department’s Field Training Program, where he will work under the guidance of a
field training officer for 14 weeks.
During this time, he will work each of the department’s shifts and spend
introductory time in the Investigations Bureau and Communications Center. Miller, 25, graduated from the Madison Area
Technical College in May of 2016 with an associate’s degree in criminal
justice. He served active duty in the
United States Army from 2009 to 2014 earning the rank of E-5/sergeant and
completing tours of duty in Afghanistan and Kuwait. He is currently serving in the Army National
Guard based out of Fond du Lac.
09 10 BATTLE OF THE BADGES
FIRE DEPT vs POLICE DEPT, Charity Softball Classic
Team photo of members of the Watertown
Fire Department and the Watertown Police Department after the Battle of the
Badges fundraiser softball game. Both of
Watertown's public safety branches duked it out on the diamond for the Battle of
the Badges, a charity softball event.
Battle of the Badges pitted the Watertown Fire Department against the
Watertown Police Department in a friendly competition at Washington Park to raise
funds for new playground equipment at Douglas Elementary School.
09 27 PLAN TO
HIRE ADDITIONAL OFFICER
The executive budget presented to
finance committee included plan to hire an additional police officer, something
that many committee members held as a high priority during the preliminary
budget meeting last month. During the
same meeting, Police Chief Tim Roets said his lack of manpower was becoming an
officer safety issue. Roets said the
department was cut from 39 to 38 officers in 2008 and has operated with that
number ever since. He added that because
four of his officers have frequent military obligations, he is forced to
backfill his shifts with minimal staffing through mandatory overtime.
10 22 MASS
CASUALTY TRAINING EXERCISE
Mutual
aid from numerous area departments.
Selected segments from video given Fire Department
12 16 DAWN
LEARNED
Support Person of the Year Award
2017
01 18 SOFT
INTERVIEW ROOM REDECORATED
01 20 JEFFERSON
COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AWARDS
Dawn Learned, Support
Person of the Year Award.
Watertown police
officer Jeff Meloy received the Crisis Intervention Team award.
Leigh-Anne Hauser
receives the President’s award.
Paul and Lou Ann
Esselman received the Citizen of the Year award.
Juan Roa accepted the
Community Excellence award on behalf of Johnsonville Sausage.
01 20 EVAN
BRESSER
The
Watertown Police Department added a new police officer to its ranks; the new
recruit is Evan Bresser. Upon completing
his initial orientation period, Bresser will enter the department’s field
training program where he will work under the guidance of a field training
officer for 14 weeks. During this time,
he will work each of the department’s shifts and spend introductory time in the
investigations bureau and communications center.
Bresser
is a Waupun native and graduated with honors from Trinity Christian College in
Palos Heights, Illinois, with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and
communications. Bresser also is a
graduate of the Basic Police Recruit Academy held at Blackhawk Technical
College in Janesville. He graduated from
the academy on Dec. 15, 2016. He is
currently certified as a police officer in the state of Wisconsin.
02 15 PURCHASE
OF TWO SQUAD CARS
Res. Exh. #8425, to authorize the purchase of two squad cars from Ewald
Automotive Group of Oconomowoc in the amount of $56,500.00, to be charged to
Capital Projects Acct. #05-52-11-70 was presented. . . . Alderperson Berg moved to amend this resolution to require the purchase from Grinwald Ford Mercury at a cost of
$57,018.28, seconded by Alderperson Larsen.
Alderperson Berg pointed out that the Local Preference Policy had a sunset
clause which removed it from effect in the fall of last year, but had this
policy still been in place, local preference would have been given to Grinwald
Ford. Considerable discussion took place
regarding the way this was bid, without any notification to the vendors that a
Local Tax Payer Preference Policy formula would be used when considering the
quotes. Following this discussion, the
motion to amend this resolution to require the purchase from local vendor Grinwald
Ford Mercury, carried. [City Council
meeting of 02 07]
03 01 PURCHASE
OF TWO SQUAD CARS
Review & approve L3 Mobile- Vision Digital Squad Car Camera. The Police Department applied for a grant and
has been awarded $4,000.00. The
department would like to purchase an L3 Mobile-Vision Digital Squad Car Camera
at a cost of $5,392.60. This passed
unanimously
03 29 2016
POLICE REPORT SHOWS A DECREASE IN SERIOUS CRIME
03 29 ENGEL
RETIRES AFTER 27 YEARS
After a long and rewarding career with the department Sgt. Timothy Engel
will be retiring from the Watertown Police Department on April 30.
Engel began his career with the Watertown Police Department on April 9,
1990, after serving four years in the United States Marine Corp. He quickly distinguished himself as a skilled
police officer and in 1994 was selected to serve as a Field Training Officer
(FTO) and immediately began formally training new police recruits.
In 1998, Engel is credited with starting the department’s first police
K-9 program. He and his German Shepherd
partner Bakko served together from 1998 to 2003 at which point Bakko was
retired because of his age.
On April 10, 2001, Engel was promoted to the rank of sergeant. During his tenure as sergeant, he has served
as a supervisor on each of the three patrol watch’s and an extended tour as the
sergeant of detectives. During a
four-year stint in the Investigation Division, he successfully led
investigations in several major cases which resulted in criminal
convictions. Engel will end his career
as the day shift supervisor leading a team of eight police officers.
During the course of Engel’s career he has been recognized for
outstanding police work on several occasions. Some of these distinctions
include: A 1992 Life Saving Award from
the Watertown Police Department, 1993 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year from
Dodge County Executive Law Enforcement Association, 2010 Ten-Year Physical
Fitness Award from the Watertown Police Department, Fourteen Letters of
Commendation from Watertown Police Department the 2015 Pitterle-Beaudoin
American Legion Post #189 Police Officer of the Year award.
Police Chief Tim Roets said Engel set the standard for police officers on
his shift through personal example.
“Sgt. Engel was a community policing officer before the title became a
buzz word in law enforcement circles. He is a trusted member of the Watertown
community and has served as an exemplary representative of the Watertown Police
Department. He has been both a mentor and supervisor to many new recruits
joining the department,” Roets said. “Sgt. Engel possesses innate leadership
qualities which were both refined and enhanced during his military service. I
am truly grateful to have had his leadership within our department for the last
27 years. He will be missed by all of us and we wish Tim and his family the
very best in the future.”
04 10 TIETZ
GIVEN KRAHN AWARD
Watertown Alderman Augie Tietz was selected as this year's recipient of
the annual Krahn Award for his deep-seated dedication to public service. In addition to his aldermanic post, Tietz
serves as chairman for both the Jefferson County Park Board and the City of Watertown
Park, Recreation and Forestry Commission.
Tietz has been instrumental in getting the initial segment of the
Interurban Trail, which runs from Humblolt Street to River Road, developed and
opened in Watertown. The trail, now in
the second of three phases, ultimately seeks to connect Watertown to
Oconomowoc, and in turn the Milwaukee lakefront. Tietz has also worked diligently to support
parks within the community.
04 25 REPAIR
OF TWO FLOORS
Unanimously authorized the repair of two floors in the police department
which have seen significant deterioration in recent years. The work, which will replace carpet and tile
with an epoxy floor, will be done by G& G Industrial Flooring for $3,010.
05 05 ANNUAL
BLUE AND WHITE SUNDAY
Sgt. DAVID BROWER / POLICE BICYCLES
On Sunday, Calvary Baptist Church held its annual Blue and White Sunday,
a day set aside each year to honor men and women who serve in law
enforcement. A special offering was
taken on behalf of the Watertown Police Department. The offering totaled $2,226 and will be used
to help purchase police bicycles for Watertown officers.
Special recognition was given to Sgt. David Brower during the
service. Loggans read Brower’s
nomination letter that was written by Police Chief Tim Roets, highlighting the
areas that Brower has faithfully served in the police department. Brower has been with the Watertown Police
Department for 16 years. He has served
on each patrol shift, as lead detective and most recently as sergeant. He also has and still serves as a department
instructor.
05 12 DONATION
FOR BIKES
Chickens Unlimited presented a check to the department for police bike
upgrades and replacements.
06 12 LIGHTS
‘N SIRENS DONATION
The Watertown Police Department recently received a generous donation
from Chickens Unlimited for this year’s Lights ‘n Sirens. Chickens Unlimited has supported this event
and other Watertown Police Department programs for several years.
07 07 POLICE/SCHOOL
LIAISON OFFICER
To authorize entering into a contract for the Police/School Liaison
Officer between the City of Watertown and the Watertown Unified School District
for the period of July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 was presented. Carried on a
roll call vote. Common Council
Proceedings
07 11 LIGHTS
‘N SIRENS
07 21 PURCHASE
OF FURNITURE
Council Proceedings: Review &
approve Police Department budget amendment request for purchase of
furniture. After discussion, a motion
was made and seconded to recommend this purchase which requires a budget
amendment. A resolution will be
presented.
08 03 TRAFFIC
CRASH MAPPING PROGRAM
Council Proceedings: Introduction
to the Police Department’s Traffic Crash Mapping Program. The Committee agrees that this tool will be
very useful. They commended Chief Roets’
team for implementing this tool for use by the City to aid with Public Safety
Enhancements.
08 15 OFFICERS
JERRY JUNG AND IAN KEATS
Mayor David joined Chief Roets in honoring two Watertown police officers
with life-saving awards. Officers Jerry
Jung and Ian Keats received the awards after applying a tourniquet onto a young
woman who had attempted to commit suicide by slitting her wrist. Because of their actions the woman was able
to be transported to the hospital where she received emergency surgery.
10 03 ITEMS
IN MAYOR DAVID'S CAPITAL BUDGET
Public
safety also remains a high priority in Mayor David's capital budget. He allotted about $150,000 for three new
police cars along with radar units, cameras and laptops that they will be
equipped with. Notable general budget items for the police department include the $15,000 replacement
of 42 handguns and 10 shotguns, both of which are past their service life. The department is also funded for a $10,000
fingerprint machine. Watertown finance
committee
10 23 OFFICER
JOEL HAAR
The Watertown Police Department added a new police officer to its ranks
on Friday. Officer Joel Haar was sworn
in at a department ceremony which included his family and city officials.
After completing his initial orientation period, Haar has now entered the
department’s field training program where he will work under the guidance of a
field training officer for 14 weeks.
During this time, he will work each of the department’s shifts and spend
introductory time in the investigations bureau and communications center.
Haar graduated from Martin Luther College in 1999 with a bachelor’s
degree in pastoral ministry. He served
in the United States Navy from 2000 to 2006 and was deployed twice in support
of Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terrorism. He was honorably discharged at the rank of
petty officer 2nd class. Officer Haar is
a 10-year veteran of the Green Bay Police Department, serving from 2007 to 2017
prior to accepting the position with the Watertown Police Department.
10 27 OFFICER
ADAM ALTREUTER
Officer Adam Altreuter was sworn in at a department ceremony which
included his family and city officials.
Upon completing his initial orientation period, Altreuter has now
entered the department’s Field Training Program where he will work under the
guidance of a field training officer for 14 weeks. During this time, he will work each of the
department’s shifts and spend introductory time in the investigations bureau
and communications center.
Altreuter is a native of Oconomowoc and graduated from University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He also recently graduated from the 720-hour
Law Enforcement Academy at Fox Valley Technical College on Oct. 6. He served as a community service officer with
the UW-Oshkosh police during his undergraduate studies. His father, Dennis, is currently a police
officer with the city of Brookfield and he has relatives that have served in
law enforcement throughout Jefferson County.
2018
01 08 PROCEEDS
FROM CPAA FISH FRY FUNDRAISER
Proceeds from the Watertown Citizen Police Academy
Alumni (CPAA) fifth annual fish fry fundraiser held at Turner Hall in April
were used to purchase and install a bubbler and water bottle filler station in
the police department.
01 18 OFFICER
MIKE ROEHL RECOGNIZED
Dozens of law enforcement members from across the area gathered in Turner
Hall Wednesday night for an awards banquet that sought to recognize individuals
and organizations that provide exemplary service to the communities they serve.
Among those commended by the Jefferson County Chiefs and Sheriffs
Association was Watertown police officer Mike Roehl who took home the Law
Enforcement Officer of the Year award for his composed and effective actions
during an incident that occurred in Watertown in August 2017. The presenter of the award, Watertown police
Chief Tim Roets said the incident involved a mentally ill man wielding two
butcher knives who was threatening to harm himself and police officers. Making matters even more tense, the man’s
girlfriend and her two children were in the same upper apartment at the top of
a narrow stairwell. Roehl’s calm demeanor
and effective communication skills allowed the situation to be resolved
peacefully, with the man eventually dropping his weapons and surrendering.
01 22 COUNCIL
PROCEEDINGS
Review and approve Residency
Requirement. Deadline Extension for Police Department
employee. Chief Roets explained the need for the employee to remain living in
Waupun. The Chief requested a 12-month extension for
the residency requirement. Motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to
approve a 12-month extension for the employee to reside outside of the 25-mile
limit.
Property Custodian/Police Dept. Review and approve position description
change and salary adjustment for Property Custodian/Police Dept. Chief Roets explained he is seeking a pay
increase for the Property Custodian as the position has changed significantly
since it first started. The Chief
indicated the 2018 Budget includes the increase from $18.91 per hour to $20.52
per hour. Motion was made, seconded and
approved unanimously to approve the change in pay.
Fingerprinting LiveScan Machine. Review and approve purchase of Fingerprinting
LiveScan Machine for Police Department. Chief Roets explained the current
system is 12 years old and needs replacement and the item is included in the
2018 Budget. Motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to approve the
purchase. Exhibit #8576, to authorize
purchase of Live Scan Guardian 10-Print electronic fingerprint submission
machine for $9,998.00 to be charged to Police Capital Outlay Account
#01-52-11-60 was presented. Approved
01 23 NEW
GLOCK HANDGUNS
Watertown Finance Committee authorized the purchase of
42 new Glock handguns for the police department. Accounting for guns traded in, the budgeted
purchase will amount to $5,298. The guns
being traded in are over 12 years old and have reached the end of their
recommended service life.
01 23 COUNCIL
PROCEEDINGS
REVIEW
AND APPROVE BIDS FOR PURCHASE OF POLICE FIREARMS
Chief Roets explained the current
handguns are 12 ½ years old and in need of replacement. He is recommending the low bid from Ray
O’Herron, Co., of Downers Grove, Il in the amount of $5,298. Motion was made, seconded and passed
unanimously to approve this purchase.
SERVER
ROOM A/C
Review and approve bids for
replacement of Air Conditioning System for Communications Center Server
Room. Chief Roets explained the air
conditioning system has gone out and these servers need to be kept cool. He is recommending we accept the bid of Klecker
Heating and Air Conditioning for $4,681. Motion was made, seconded and passed
unanimously to approve accepting this bid.
COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER COMPUTER
Review and select bid for
Communications Center Computer Replacement. Chief Roets presented bids from
three companies for computers in the Communications Center. The low bid was
DigiCorp at $3,342. Motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to approve
this purchase.
03 14 LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Officer Stacy Schroeder was honored by American Legion Post No. 189
as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year at a birthday banquet held celebrating
the 99th anniversary of the founding of the American Legion.
03 20 POLICE
INVESTIGATIONS SECRETARY
Common Council Proceedings - Review and approve hiring
part-time Police Investigations Secretary.
Police Chief Roets explained that after a competitive selection process
he recommends Kirstie Ewing to fill
the position. Motion made, seconded and
passed to authorize this hiring as recommended.
03 30 CPAA TO
HOLD ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, FISH FRY
The Watertown Citizen Police Academy Alumni (CPAA)
has received $7,000 in donations from local and surrounding businesses in
support of its sixth annual fundraiser and fish fry, scheduled for Friday,
April 6, at Turner Hall from 5-8:30 p.m.
This year, proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards some
less-than-lethal options for the officers, hearing protection/ equipment for
the range and entry teams and an audio recording system for the main lobby.
04 06 D.A.R.E.
DONATION, J & L Tire
A $300 check was presented to the department for
D.A.R.E. program on behalf of J & L Tire.
The D.A.R.E. program is primarily funded with donations from the
community so it can remain cost free to the schools and students. J & L Tire’s contributions have assisted
in purchasing workbooks for students which are essential to the program’s goal
of preventing substance abuse and dangerous behavior among children.
04 12 PURCHASE
OF TRAUMA BAGS
Review and approve purchase of trauma bags – Police
Department. Chief Roets explained the
need for this equipment in the case of a multiple trauma incident where we may
not be able to get paramedics on scene right away. The bags would be purchased with funds
remaining from the hand gun purchase.
Motion was made, seconded and passed to approve spending up to $2,000
for 12 trauma bags.
04 17 ALFRED
& HELEN KRAHN CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Council Proceedings:
Police Chief Tim Roets presented the Alfred & Helen Krahn
Citizenship Award to Truancy Officer Steve Leistico, nominated by School
Resource Officer Jeff Meloy for his outstanding service to families and youth
in the community and Steve Hepp, local business owner and Marine Corps veteran,
nominated by his spouse for his countless fundraising efforts and volunteerism
to many community organizations. This is
the first time there were co-recipients of the award.
04 26 SGT.
BEN OLSEN RECOGNITION / FUNDS FOR K-9 SQUAD CAR CAGES
Calvary Baptist Church held its annual Blue and
White Sunday, a day set aside each year to honor men and women who serve in law
enforcement.
A special offering was taken on behalf of the
Watertown Police Department. The
offering totaled $2,611 and will be used to help purchase K-9 squad car cages
to help those like Officer Tony Namio and his K-9 partner, Oczi. Special recognition was given to Sgt. Ben
Olsen during the service. Olsen’s
nomination letter, written by Chief Tim Roets, highlighted the areas Olsen has
served in the Watertown Police Department.
Olsen has served at the Watertown Police Department for over 11 years.
He has served on each patrol shift and as detective. Olsen was promoted to
sergeant in 2014 and serves as the supervisor
for the city’s late shift. He also serves as a department instructor for
defense and arrest tactics.
05 01 FIREFIGHTER
& LAW OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Recognitions at 2nd District American Legion Spring Conference in West Bend.
Watertown Fire Chief Kraig Biefeld received the Firefighter of the Year
award and Watertown Police Officer Stacy Schroeder received the Law Officer of
the Year award.
05 01 COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER UPS & BATTERY SYSTEM SUPPORT
Council
Proceedings: Communications Center UPS
& Battery System Support. Police
Chief Roets explained the current vendor is no longer in business so they are
seeking permission to enter an agreement with a new vendor for $1,562 over the
budgeted amount. Motion carried to
authorize new vendor at a higher cost.
05 08 WATERTOWN
POLICE SEEK NEW K-9
The Department
plans to purchase the new K-9 from Jessiffany Canine Services, LLC Iron Ridge,
WI. The initial cost of the dual purpose
dog will be $10,000. Dual purpose dogs
are certified in narcotic detection, handler protection, tracking and article
searches. Press release
05 10 JEFF
MELOY, School Liaison Officer
Attempt is to determine how such an additional liaison officer position
might be funded and created.
Meloy said, although he loves his work in the schools (Watertown High
School and middle school), he is being stretched to the breaking point
professionally as he tries to handle all the needs of students, which are
increasing rapidly. He said he is having to neglect necessary paperwork in
order to handle his hands-on duties at the high school and sometimes at the
middle school. Chief Roets is optimistic
the board of education will ratify the proposal for an additional SRO. If it does so, a new officer could be working
in the middle school as early as January of 2019. WDTimes article
05 14 CHIEF
ROETS TO RETIRE
Police Chief
Timothy Roets to retire in mid-September after a 36-year career in law
enforcement, virtually all of which has been with the local department.
After a brief stint
as a part-time officer with the Hartford department, Roets joining the
Watertown Department in August of 1982.
He served until 1991 as a uniform police officer, juvenile officer and
detective for three years. He was
promoted to sergeant and served as a uniform patrol sergeant and detective
sergeant until being promoted to lieutenant in January of 1991. At that point he served as late shift watch
commander and later transferred to the investigations division where he served
as commander.
In June of 1996 he
was promoted to the position of captain where he led the patrol division with
its 24 officers. He held that position
until May of 1999 when he was named deputy chief of the department. In that position he was responsible for
organizing and supervising all phases and operations of the department, and
then in September of 2008 the commission selected him to succeed Chief Charles
McGee who had served in that position for 15 years.
Roets holds a
bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and sociology from Carthage
College in Kenosha and has continued his professional education at the National
FBI Academy, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Wisconsin Department of Criminal
Investigations, Wisconsin Emergency Management, Wisconsin Chiefs of Police
Association and International Chiefs of Police Association.
He has also
received many honors during his career.
They include Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer, Carthage College
Athletic Hall of Fame, local police department lifesaving award, Jefferson
County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, YMCA Key Leader Award and local
department 10-year fitness award.
In addition to his
professional police work, Roets has been deeply involved in the community. He
has been active in Bread & Roses, Watertown YMCA, Watertown Health and
Wellness Center, Jefferson County Delinquency Prevention Council, Watertown
Family Center, Crossroads House of Watertown, Dialogue for Student Success of
Watertown and Watertown Youth Sports Coach.
Roets and his wife,
Dr. Cheryl Roets, licensed psychologist at Rogers Memorial Hospital, plan to
continue living at their Watertown home. They have four children, Kelsey, who
is with the FBI in Milwaukee, Lydia and Samuel who are in the United States
Coast Guard and Jack in the United States Army.
06 06 OFFICER ROEHL PROMOTED TO
SERGEANT
Watertown Police
Officer Michael Roehl was promoted to the rank of police sergeant. Upon promotion, Sgt. Roehl has been assigned
to the evening shift or Watch II in which he will serve as the first line
supervisor for seven police officers.
Roehl began his
career with the Watertown Police Department on May 6, 2014. He is a graduate of Craig High School in
Janesville and has earned 90 college credits for a bachelor’s degree. Roehl attended University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater, UW-Blackhawk Technical College and UW-Rock County. Roehl is currently a member of the United States
Navy Active Duty/Reserves and is assigned to a Seabee unit as a construction
electrician. Roehl has served in the
U.S. Navy since June 2013 and holds the rank of E-5. He has been recognized by the U.S. Navy with
a squad leader letter of commendation and Okinawa service letter of
commendation.
While serving as a
Watertown police officer, Roehl is a member of the Entry/Crowd Control Team and
is a Watertown Police Explorer adviser.
He was recognized as the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Officer of the
Year in 2017 for successfully negotiating the surrender of an armed and
barricaded emotionally disturbed citizen.
Roehl has served in both management and
supervisory roles in the manufacturing industry prior to entering the law
enforcement profession.
06 10 TO FILL POLICE CHIEF VACANCY
06 19 CHAPLAIN
PROGRAM: 10th ANNIVERSARY
Behind every face and situation -- and behind every
uniform and badge -- lies a human being, with real thoughts, real emotions and
real stressors. For the chaplains
serving the Watertown Police Department, that's the perspective they take every
day when serving those affected by injury, crime or death in the community, as
well as those responding to those calls.
The program started in April 2008 with two chaplains, the Rev. Mark
Moore of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Pastor Doug Stein of Calvary Baptist
Church, both who have since gone on to churches outside the area. Currently
there are five chaplains, including a bilingual chaplain and a female
chaplain. Denominations represented in
the chaplain program have included Assemblies of God, Baptist, Catholic,
Episcopalian, United Church of Christ and nondenominational. However, the care
that chaplains provide is not based on their denomination. They are there to
simply listen and give support -- if it's wanted -- by those to whom it's being
offered. Presently serving as chaplains
for the Watertown Police Department are Pastor Randy Krystowiak, Calvary Baptist
Church; Rev. Jared Furnish, River City Church; the Rev. Tim Meinhardt, hospice
chaplain for Allay Home and Hospice; and the Revs. Elizabeth Tester and Oscar
Rozo, St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
06 22 K-9
DONATION
Watertown Elks
Lodge and Chickens Unlimited made
separate donations ($690 and $1,000 respectively) and to the Police Dept. K-9
fund.
07 22 TIM ENGEL NOW WITH SAWYER
COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPT.
Get
hooked on ‘Cops & Bobbers’, a free fishing event for kids.
Bringing kids into the company of law enforcement in
a positive and fun setting, debuts in Hayward on Saturday, July 14, at The
Landing Resort. Tim Engel and Jenny
Hole, both deputy sheriffs with the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department, are
heading up the initiative, which is designed to teach kids fishing and get them
“hooked” on a healthy, outdoor pastime that also presents police officers in a
positive and welcoming manner.
07 17 ALEXANDER ZIELKE & BRADLEY
BENTON
Council Proceedings.
Finance Committee, July 9, 2018. Hire two non-sworn Auxiliary Police
Officers. Chief Roets recommended hiring
Alexander Zielke and Bradley Benton.
Motion carried to approve both hires.
08 21 ADDITIONAL POLICE SQUAD CAR
PURCHASE
Chief Roets
recommends purchasing three squad cars before year end as he was notified of a
significant price increase for next year.
Ordering the cars in 2018 will result in approximate savings of
$33,000. Motion carried to purchase
squad cars, budget amendment will be required
09 10 POLICE DEPARTMENT BEATS FIRE
BOYS
The
fourth annual Watertown Fire Department vs. Watertown Police Department is in
the books. The final score was 20 to 10
in favor of the police department.
Everyone had a great time and thank you to everyone for supporting the
Watertown High School Gosling Nest!
09 12 KAMINSKI NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
Capt. Robert
Kaminski has been selected as the next Watertown police chief by the Fire and
Police Commission. He will succeed Chief Tim Roets who is retiring in late
October.
Kaminski, 48, has
been a resident in Watertown and has been on the force for 27 years. He has an associate’s degree in police
science from MATC and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Excelsior
College. He completed the FBI Academy in Quantico. The Finance Committee agreed a setting pay rate
of $85,862 annually. Kaminski has a
membership in the FBI National Academy and the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police
Association. He works with the community in the Watertown YMCA Board of
Directors, Watertown Riverfest Committee, Jefferson County Drug Free Coalition,
Jefferson County Traffic Safety Committee. He completed the program Leadership Watertown and is an
active shooter incident management instructor.
10 02 COFFEE
WITH A COP
Held at the Watertown Public Library. Occasion is an informal conversation with an
officer, so to learn what it takes to become a police officer.
10 22 TERPSTRA NEW OFFICER
The Watertown
Police Department added a new police officer, Zachary Terpstra, to its ranks on
this past week at a swearing in ceremony.
Upon completing his initial orientation period, officer Terpstra
will enter the department’s field training program where he will work under the
guidance of a field training officer for 14 weeks. During this time, he will work on each of the
department’s shifts and spend introductory time in the investigations bureau
and communications center.
Terpstra is a
Wisconsin native from Barron. He is
a graduate of Maranatha Baptist University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree
in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in criminal justice in May 2017. He was a standout basketball player both in
high school and at Maranatha where he was selected team captain. While attending Maranatha Baptist University
Zach completed an internship with the department in 2017.
Terpstra also is a
graduate of the Basic Police Recruit Academy held at Wisconsin Indiainhead
Technical College in Rice Lake. He
graduated from the academy on Sept. 26, 2017.
He is currently certified as a police officer in the state of Wisconsin. Terpstra was working part-time for both the
Barron Police Department and Cameron Police Department from October 2017 to his
hire date with the Watertown Police Department.
10 16 FULL-TIME 911 DISPATCHER
Common
Council Proceedings: Approve hiring full-time
911 Dispatcher. The full-time Dispatcher position was open due to a resignation
and was offered to all three part-time dispatchers. Kaitlin Oreshack accepted
the offer and worked full-time in Dispatch previously. Chief Roets is
requesting her transfer from part-time to full-time. Motion carried to approve
this transfer to full-time. Report received and placed on file.
12 05 FOUR CHIEFS
Four police chiefs for the city of Watertown
were in attendance at a reception honoring recently retired chief Tim
Roets. Roets, Richard Reynolds, Charles
McGee and new Police Chief Robert Kaminski.
12 14 KLEPPIN NAMED THIENSVILLE CHIEF
Capt. Curt Kleppin has left the Watertown Police
Department after nearly 24 years to serve as the chief of police of the
Thiensville Police Department. Kleppin’s
last day was Dec. 14.
12 19 DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION
GRADUATION
The 2018-19 first semester Drug Abuse
Resistance Education graduation had approximately 125 students. The graduation took place Monday at Watertown
High School and involved Lebanon Elementary School, St. Henry Catholic School
and Webster Elementary School. The first
semester D.A.R.E. report winner was Andrew Harms, a fifth-grade student at St.
Henry’s. The other D.A.R.E. report
finalists were Taylre Tietz from Lebanon Elementary and Gillian Milhalko, Ella
Johnson and Elizabeth Gibson from Webster.
2019
01 03 ROBBIE
MISKULIN, POLICE EXPLORER, DIES AT 19
For the past four years, 19-year-old Robbie
Miskulin was a member of the Watertown Police Explorer program. On January 3, Miskulin, a diabetic but had
never been hospitalized, died in his sleep and no one knows exactly how. Until the autopsy results come back, the
community in Watertown, especially the police department has made it clear,
they lost an important person.
03 17 OFFICER DAKOTA LENSKE JOINS
DEPT.
03 19 OFFICER KYLE KUNCE JOINS DEPT.
Officer Kunce came from Washington where he
was an officer for four years.
04 23 WATERTOWN
CITIZEN’S POLICE ACADEMY
Received over $10,000 in donations from local and surrounding
businesses in support
05 20 D.A.R.E. GRADUATION HELD AT
HIGH SCHOOL
The 2018-19 second semester Drug Abuse
Resistance Education graduation took place at the Watertown High School
auditorium, with approximately 200 students and family members attending. Local schools involved in the graduation were
Douglas Elementary, Good Shepherd Lutheran School and Schurz Elementary. The second semester D.A.R.E. report winner
was Damacio Dominguez, a student at Schurz Elementary School. For winning the competition, Dominguez won
$50, a D.A.R.E. medal, a pizza party for his class and a Daren the Lion stuffed
animal.
05 23 KARNATZ, KEATS, ROEHL AND SIMON RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE
The council also congratulated a number of
city employees for their service, including Christopher Karnatz of the police
department for 20 years; Ian Keats of the police department for five years;
Michael Roehl of the police department for five years; James Simon of the
police department for five years.
06 27 MARCIE
REPTA, 1962-2019
Marcie J. Repta, 56, of Watertown, passed
away unexpectedly on June 27, 2019. Marcie
was born on Nov. 6, 1962, daughter of Frank and Helen (Peterson) Repta in
Oconto.
Marcie was the first and only female officer
for the Watertown Police Department for 17 years.
She retired from the force after 27 years of
service to the Watertown Community.
Marcie was also past president of the Wisconsin Association of Women
Police and was a present member of the Watertown Elks.
Marcie is survived by her wife of 39 years,
Kathryn Lukenbach; her mother Helen Repta; siblings Renae Repta, John (Terri)
Repta and Terry (Rosanne) Repta; mother-in-law Rozelle Meyer; brother-in-law
Steven (Judy) Lukenbach; and other relatives and numerous friends.
Marcie was preceded in death by her father
and five uncles.
07 11 BENJAMIN
OLSEN PROMOTED TO ADMINISTRATIVE CAPTAIN
We would like to congratulate Sergeant
Benjamin Olsen on being promoted to Administrative Captain
07 18 MELOY
AND CAUCUTT PROMOTED TO SERGEANT
School Resource Officer Jeff Meloy and Detective
Jon Caucutt promoted to Sergeant.
Sergeant Meloy will be assigned to dayshift
patrol. Sergeant Caucutt will be
assigned to nightshift patrol.
08 22 OFFICER
SCOTT KIND, SUSAN ROE, HONORED
Officer Scott Kind was honored for 10 years
of service with the police department.
Currently serving as the city’s lone humane officer, Kind has received
three letters of accommodation and was presented with a certificate of
appreciations from the city. Susan Roe
was also recognized for 30 years of service with the police department, though
was not in attendance for the meeting.
09 16 CHANCE, THE NEW K-9
The Watertown Finance Committee approved the
purchase of a new K-9 dog from Jessiffany Canine Services for $13,500 for the
police department. The new canine, a
19-month old German Shepard named Chance, will replace police canine Oczie, who
was retired in August due to health concerns.
Funding for the purchase comes from donations in a canine reserve account
currently held by the department.
09 17 TRAFFIC
CAMERAS / POLICE CANINE
Council Proceedings: Request to place traffic cameras at
intersections in the City. Since the
State does not allow traffic violations to be enforced using traffic cameras,
it was suggested that when incidents are observed, license plate numbers are
given to the Police Dept. for enforcement.
Council Proceedings: Res. to authorize purchase of police canine
from Jessiffany Canine Services LLC was presented. Carried by roll call vote; Yes-8; No-0.
09 26 POLICE
CAPTAIN OFFERS SURVIVAL TIPS TO COPE WITH ACTIVE SHOOTERS
The phenomenon of the mass shooting has grown
and changed over the years. So has the thinking on how to best survive
one. That’s what Watertown Police Capt.
David Brower told a group of business people and government officials at a
meeting in the city’s municipal building.
Brower is available to teach groups about how to prepare for an active-
shooter situations. WDTimes online article
10 17 Sgt.
JEFF MELOY - FIRST RESPONDER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Watertown Police Sgt. Jeff Meloy received the
AD-37 First Responder of the Year award on Thursday in Madison. First responders from all 99 assembly districts
were honored at the ceremony and are selected for their work in their
respective communities. Nominations are
based on a variety of factors, including a specific heroic action, a
significant professional achievement and, a nominee’s body of work over time or
length of service.
10 18 OFFICER
LUKE HENSLEY
AND HIS FOUR-LEGGED PARTNER CHANCE
<-< video clip <-< Officer Hensley and Chance in action
K-9 Officer Chance is the newest member of
the police department and began work for the department with his handler,
Patrol Officer Luke Hensley, on Oct. 18.
Chance is a 1-yearand- 9-month-old German shepherd who was purchased by
the department from Jessiff any Canine Services in Iron Ridge. Chance and Hensley completed five weeks of
training from the service, which has provided numerous K-9’s in the
county. Chance is considered a
dual-purpose narcotics dog . He is trained in narcotics detection in vehicles,
rooms, houses, and open fields. He can
also do tracking, article searches for non-organic articles with human scent, building
clearing, protection and apprehension.
10 21 POLICE
RECORDS AND COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCHS
12 19 HONORED FOR LIFE-SAVING ACTIONS
Dispatcher Julia Schmelzer, Police
officer James Simon, Watertown Fire Assistant Chief Tim Gordon, Fire Lt. Brad
Fox, firefighter/ paramedic Mason Tayler, firefighter/paramedic Patrick
Schultz, firefighter/ paramedic Jeff Penna and firefighter/paramedic Alexa
Steinbach each received a life-saving award for their actions in saving the
life of a patient earlier this year.
On Oct. 21, members of the Watertown
police and fire departments were dispatched by Schmelzer to male patient who
was not breathing and did not have a pulse.
While the personnel was en route, Schmelzer provided pre-arrival CPR
instructions to the caller. Officer
Simon arrived on the scene shortly after and took over CPR until the Crew A
fire personnel composed of Gordon, Fox, Tayler, Schultz, Penna and Steinbach
arrived.
Department personnel took immediate action
by providing continuous high-quality CPR using a LUCAS (Lund University
Cardiopulmonary Assist System) device. A
LUCAS device is a chest compression system that helps providing chest
compressions, applying a monitor, checking heart rhythm and delivering shocks
to a patient’s heart, among other features.
Pre-arrival instructions, which played a
key role in this live saving situation, is a fairly new practice by the
Watertown dispatching team. The dispatch
center began implementing pre-arrival instructions in February of this year.
The instructions fall under five categories: cardiac arrest with CPR for both
adults and children; choking; seizures; delivery for an active labor; and
bleeding. All dispatch members are CPR
certified and the unit received training from Wisconsin EMS as well as its own
inside training. Although the usage of
instructions is in its infancy at the department, the dispatch team typically
gives instructions one to two times a week.
All of the public service members
honored received a certificate from the fire department for their actions.
12 20 FIRST
"SHOP WITH A COP" EVENT
Officer Kathy Riedl pushes Sam Lueck in a
cart to move quickly through the Watertown Walmart.
2020
05 31 MAN
KILLED IN POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING
The Wisconsin Department of Justice
Division of Criminal Investigation released the names of the victim and the
officer involved in the police shooting death of a man in the parking lot of
Watertown’s South Church Street Kwik Trip on May 31. The officer is Pedro Gallegos, who has been
in law enforcement for six years, while the victim, who died, was Thomas
Jeffery Sutherlin, 32.
Law enforcement from the Watertown Police
Department initiated a traffic stop in Watertown for a burned-out taillight.
Law enforcement had been looking for the subject to question him about his
involvement in a domestic incident.
During the traffic stop, a taser was deployed, but was not effective. Shots within the vehicle were fired and
officers returned fire. A firearm was
found in the vehicle.” Law enforcement
immediately began life-saving measures on Sutherlin and paramedics later
transported him to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries
sustained during the incident. No law
enforcement personnel or other individuals were injured.
Gallegos, who has been in law
enforcement for six years, has been placed on administrative leave as part of
department policy.
08 08 ICE
CREAM FOR NEIGHBOR KIDS
On several occasions during the current
period of excessive heat and humidity Officers Bresser, Bohlman and Schroeder
served up scoops of ice cream for kids at neighborhood parks.
12 24 COUNCIL OKs COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
Police & Fire
A firefighter starting a career with the
Watertown Fire Department after Jan. 1 will earn $51,139 annually or $24.58 an
hour, according to a collective bargaining agreement approved between the city
and Local 877 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. The collective bargaining agreement covers
years 2021 to 2023. Firefighting
employees will work a normal work cycle of one 24-hour tour of duty followed by
one 24-hour period by another 24-hour tour of duty and so on. The normal starting time for a tour of duty
will be 7 a.m. All employees of the fire department will be required to live
within a 45-mile radius of Watertown City Hall as a condition of employment.
Also, the city’s finance committee and the
police officers reached a one-year collective bargaining agreement beginning
Jan. 1, 2021. All police employees will
be required, within 12 months following their hire to live within a 25-mile
radius of Watertown City Hall, which shall include the city limits of Lake
Mills, Oconomowoc, and Jefferson. . . . WDTimes full text article
2021
03 02 TWO
NEW SQUADS ADDED
The Watertown Police Department recently added
two new squads to the patrol fleet for 2021.
The two squads have a new design which will slowly be incorporated to
the entire fleet. The new squads are
also the departments first hybrids being utilized for patrol work.
04 16 MURDER/SUICIDE
FORMER OFFICER KILLED TEENAGE
SON
A former Watertown Police officer killed his
teenage son before ending his own life.
Officers were called to check the welfare of the former officer,
identified as Douglas Teuteberg, on Friday, April 16. They tried to find him based on cellphone
pings and could not locate him. The
Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says officers entered Teuteberg’s home Saturday
on the 900 block of Country Lane and found Teuteberg and his 16-year-old son
dead. Evidence collected at the scene
indicates the deaths were a homicide/suicide caused by Teuteberg, according to
the sheriff’s office.
06 09 2021 KRAHN
CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Ann Nienow has been named recipient of the
2021 Alfred and Helen Krahn Citizenship award.
The award is given annually by the Krahn family in memory of Al “Mickey”
and Helen Krahn. Al was a longtime member of the Watertown Police Department,
retiring in 1970 as inspector, second in command at the department.
Nienow, a lifelong resident of Watertown, has
worked as a social worker for Jefferson County Human Services and at Watertown
Memorial Hospital, now known as Watertown Regional Medical Center. More recently she and her husband Rich owned
and operated Hafemeister Funeral Home for many years until recently selling the
business to their two sons, Mike and Mark.
07 22 PLAN TO CREATE ASSISTANT CHIEF POSITION
Watertown Police Chief Robert Kaminski told
common council members he plans on promoting one of his three captains to a
newly created assistant police chief position; and the council unanimously
approved it. The city’s police and fire
commission would promote one captain to this position and still have two
captains in his department.
Several years ago the police department had
an inspector of police, which was followed by a deputy chief, but when former
police chief Tim Roets was in office, he didn’t have an assistant police chief,
but had three captains. Roets may have
eliminated the deputy chief position because of educational requirements, that
is not the case today.
08 24 OFFICER SAMUEL SULZMANN JOINS FORCE
12 21 WATERTOWN
POLICE DEPT OFFICER SGT. JON CAUCUTT RECEIVED PATRIOT AWARD
Jeffery Hensley who nominated the officer, Caucutt, Watertown
Police Chief Robert Kaminski, and Mike Williams, of the ESGR
Awarded by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Committee.
Watertown Police Department Sgt. Jon Caucutt was presented with a
Patriot Award by the Wisconsin Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and
Reserve Committee. Colonel Mike
Williams, state chair emeritus of the Wisconsin Committee for ESGR made the announcement
and presented the award along with ESGR representative Mike Williams. The award is in recognition of extraordinary
support of one of their employees serving in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
The presentation took take place at the Watertown Police
Department.
According to Williams, “Sgt. Jon Caucutt was nominated for this
prestigious national award by their employee Jeffrey Hensley who is a member of
the Wisconsin Army National Guard and assigned to the 1-120th
Field Artillery Battalion in Stevens Point.
The Patriot Award is only presented to employers who not only hire guard
and reserve members, but demonstrate superior support to the military employee
and his/ her family. The National Guard
and Reserve Forces are the cornerstone of our national defense. Caucutt has provided outstanding support and
cooperation and has exhibited a patriotic spirit which is reflected in the
significance of being a recipient of the Patriot Award.”
Hensley, battery commander of B Battery, 1-120th Field Artillery,
said, “Sgt. Caucutt has been an outstanding supporter of me in regards to my
military career. He displays a true
appreciation of my service in the Wisconsin National Guard and goes above and
beyond to assist. Caucutt takes his
support further than just the workplace, making me aware of his willingness to
help with home issues while I am away.
Having a supportive supervisor such as Caucutt makes balancing my
civilian and military careers much easier.
I am truly appreciative to have such a leader.”
Watertown Police Chief Robert Kaminski said, “The Watertown Police
Department has hired numerous employees that have or are members of the guard
and reserve. As a department we understand
the difficulties of managing a civilian career and a military career and want
to make both as stress free as possible for our employees.”
“The department and I appreciate the recognition,” said
Caucutt. “Officer Hensley does an
excellent job of balancing his service at Watertown PD and with the national
guard. Hensley is a topnotch police
officer. His organization,
communication, and commitment to both make this a rather easy
relationship. We are proud of Officer
Hensley’s service and happy to assist as he participates in protecting both the
local and national communities. “
ESGR, a Department of Defense program, seeks to foster a culture
in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of
members of the national guard and reserve in the United States.
2022
-- -- YEARS
OF SERVICE
Schroeder, Stacy L: 20 Years
Heimerl, Robert A: 10 Years
Bresser, Evan P: 5 Years
01 22 BEN MILLER <> OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Miller, currently assigned to the Jefferson County Drug Task
Force, was selected as law enforcement officer of the year, with nominating
Capt. Dave Brower, also of the Watertown Police Department, writing, in part,
that, since joining the force in 2016, Miller, “has been an excellent asset to
our city, and since 2020 he has extended that excellence into his work with the
drug task force.” WDTimes article
02 24 OFFICERS
KATHY RIEDL AND CHRIS KARNATZ RECOGNIZED
The Dodge County Executive Law Enforcement Association will
recognize Deputy Jeremy McCarty of the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and
Officers Kathy Riedl and Chris Karnatz of the Watertown Police Department as
its 2021 Law Enforcement Officers of the Year.
McCarty responded to a report of a suicidal woman on the State
Highway 16 bypass over State Highway 26 in the Town of Emmet in October 2021.
The woman had called dispatch and said she was suicidal and was going to jump
off of the bridge. McCarty made contact with the woman and engaged her in
dialogue trying to talk her out of suicide.
Watertown Police Chief Robert Kaminski nominated Riedl and Karnatz
as law enforcement officers of the year.
He said Karnatz has 23 years and Riedl has 21 years with the
Watertown Police Department, respectively.
Last August the two officers were sent to a complaint of a
12-year-old child who was wielding a knife and was threatening to kill others
in the residence and themself.
He said Riedl realized the child was on the autism spectrum and
asked her fellow officer to speak with the child outside while she spoke to the
adults.
03 17 AWARDS FOR
2021
American Legion member Larry Schultz presented a certificate to
Katherine Riedl recognizing her as the 2021 Police Officer of the Year at the
Legion’s birthday banquet held at Turner Hall on March 12. A program was held introducing Katherine
Riedl as the 2021 Police Officer of the Year and Amber Haumshield as the
Watertown Police Support Person of the Year.
04 01 SGT. LEON RUDER RETIREMENT
After 35 years of serving the community, Watertown Police
Detective Sgt. Leon Ruder will retire from the police force effective
today. Ruder carried out an array of
assignments and was commended time and again for his work. Ruder began his career with the Watertown
Police Department as a patrol officer in 1987 and was soon selected to be the
detective assigned to the Jefferson County Drug Task Force Unit.
04 28 DONATION FOR BALLISTIC SHIELD UPGRADE
Watertown Police Chief Robert Kaminski accepted a $1,500 check
from Tom Godfroy, center and Jerry Hepp, Chickens Unlimited committee
members. The donation will be used to
upgrade their ballistic shield for the police.
Chickens recently held its annual banquet that raises funds for local
charity organizations and programs that need help in the Watertown area.
06 13 CAPT. JOHNSON RETIRES
Veteran Watertown Police Department officer, Capt. Randy Johnson,
is retiring from the force after 25 years and the accolades that have been
rolling in regarding his service have been many.
Johnson’s last day was May 27 and a luncheon was held for him at
the police department. Along with his family, many close, career contacts from
throughout Dodge and Jefferson County attended.
Johnson’s wife, Tina, invited everyone to view a huge scrapbook
containing countless articles and photographs of his work, as well as cases he
was involved in throughout the years.
Johnson served as a patrol officer, drug task force detective,
field training officer, detective, sergeant on watch III, watch I and
investigations division. He finished his career as a captain.
Johnson was hired when he was 24 years old.
He went to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he earned
a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
06 18 ANNUAL WATERTOWN BICYCLE RODEO
On Saturday, June 18, 2022 the Watertown Police Department will be
hosting its 28th Annual Watertown Bicycle Rodeo at the Watertown High
School. This is a free event for kids 12
years old and under who can ride a two-wheeled bicycle. Kids ride in nine courses to teach them to
ride safely around their neighborhood and the entire city. During this event, the police department will
also register bicycles free of charge.
After the participants are done with the courses they are able to enter
a raffle for many prizes including one of many new bicycles.
07 22 DONATION
FOR ICE CREAM
The Wisconsin Elks Association Inc., Watertown Lodge presented
a check for $1,750 to Watertown Police Dept. to be used for the ice cream in
the park events.
2023
02 13 ALFRED AND HELEN KRAHN CITIZENSHIP TO JEFF
ALLEN
Officials honored Jeff Allen with the 2022 Alfred and Helen Krahn
Citizenship Award at Tuesday’s Watertown Common Council meeting. The award comes with a certificate and $1,000
check from the Watertown Area Community Foundation. Allen is a former principal of St. Bernard’s
Catholic School of Watertown, a position he held for more than 30 years. WDTimes article
05 11 OFFICER JAMISON RICHARDT
Congratulations to Officer
Jamison Richardt on your graduation from the Madison College police
academy. Officer Richardt will be
partnered with a Field Training Officer for the next several months before
starting solo patrol.
06 15 DETECTIVE SARGENT JON CAUCUTT, POLICE
OFFICER OF THE YEAR
09 23 2023 <> UPCOMING <> DONUT DASH (formally Run from
the Cops)
The Donut Dash was formally known as Run from the Cops and is a 5K
run/walk and 1K youth run sponsored by the Watertown Police Department to raise
awareness and assistance to people affected by domestic violence.
The goal of this event is to raise awareness and funding for
victims of domestic violence. 100% of our proceeds are donated to the victims
of domestic abuse.
Proceeds from the run since its inception has generated over $114,900. ]
Funding goes directly to victim services.
The Donut Dash offers something for runners of all levels … and it
is chip timed. Whether you're a
competitive distance runner or want to walk with your kids in the stroller, we
encourage everyone to get involved. Join
us for a great run that supports a great cause! And of course, enjoy donuts
along the way!
Portfolio of Police Dept pictures
File
on city jail
Fuermann Brewery,
Police Dept occupies former site of
UNKNOWNS
12 20 BOB
WEBSTER, BLOOD DONER
At the American Red
Cross blood drive longtime donor Bob Webster was recognized for hitting the
25-gallon mark. He received a pin and certificate
for his accomplishment. Bob’s service
included the military, as a police officer and to the American Red Cross. He has been donating blood since he was in
the military in late 1956 or early 1957.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1842-1899 section Beginning of Police Dept.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
History of Watertown, Wisconsin