2013 annual report - Police Department

T OWN OF M UKWONAGO P OLICE
D EPARTMENT
2013 A NNUAL R EPORT
Help People
PREVENT CRIME
Enforce the Law
Law Enforcement
Oath Of Honor
On my honor,
I will never betray
my badge,
my integrity,
my character, or
the public trust.
I will always have the courage
to hold myself and others
accountable for our actions.
I will always uphold
the Constitution,
my community
and the agency I serve.
International Association of Chiefs of Police
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A MESSAGE FROM CHIEF CZARNECKI
Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no
leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders
seize the opportunity to change things for the better. —Harry S. Truman
“Our mission is to protect people, maintaining peace and order, enabling citizens to enjoy an
environment conducive to living lives free of fear of harm.”
The above quote talks about leadership. Inherently Law Enforcement Officers are leaders.
When people don’t know what to do, they contact Law Enforcement. The expectation is that
Law Enforcement can help. The Town of Mukwonago Police Department takes this responsibility seriously. We charge ourselves with being servants of the people. We purposefully hold
each other accountable. We strive to be intentional in our integrity. We seek out opportunities
to quietly meet the needs of our community. We train to become skilled and effective in our
positions. We inoculate ourselves to the fear and stress that comes with the calling. We are
the guardians that watch over you and your families, protecting you, as you play, recreate, relax
and sleep. We are the ones you call when you don’t know who to call. We are the “Thin Blue
Line” that separates the bad from the good. We stand in the gap.
The purpose of this report is to highlight the work of the Town of Mukwonago Police Department in 2013. It is difficult to paint a complete picture of what is accomplished by the members
of the department during an entire year in just the few pages, however, this will be but a snapshot
of some of the activity. Starting in 2013 and continuing this year, we have purposefully looked
for ways to serve and reach out to the community. The following pages will describe some of
those pursuits.
In 2013 we experienced some turnover of staff. We said goodbye to members who have been
here for many years. We are grateful for their service to the community. We wish them success
in their future beyond the Town of Mukwonago. We also look forward with excitement to the
new members that have joined us in service.
We look forward to 2014 and what that might mean for the Town of Mukwonago. We are
working with our schools to integrate officers and students in a cooperative effort to create relationships that break down barriers. We will be hosting training classes for ATV/Snowmobile,
Boat Safety, Hunters Safety, Firearms Safety and Home Alone.
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We are working with the Town Board on efficiencies and future growth in staffing. Our push
will be to create a full-time investigator dedicated to active investigations and drug investigations.
This will allow patrol officers to spend more time on patrol. Currently each officer conducts
their own investigation. Some cases requiring multiple days of dedicated investigation. Typically
each shift has one officer assigned to patrol. When an investigation takes them off of patrol our
Town is less safe.
The Office of Justice Assistance (OJA) reported in its 2012 Annual Report that for the
state of Wisconsin in 2012 the average number of full time officers for 1000 residents
was 2.21. In Waukesha County there were
1.7 per 1000 people. In the Town of
Mukwonago there were 0.80. The Town of
Mukwonago population based on the 2010
census was 7950. The Town employs 6 full
time officers. That's one officer for every
1,325 people. When broken down by counties in Wisconsin, the Town’s rate of 0.80 officers per 1000 residents is lower than all of
the 72 counties except one.
Wisconsin per 1000 residents 2.21 officers
Waukesha Co.
1.7 officers
Village of Mukwonago
1.9 officers
Town of Mukwonago
0.8 officers
The 2014 April edition of American Cop Magazine reported from the 2008 census that out of
the 17,985 law enforcement agencies nationwide 49%, about 8,800 agencies were made up of
fewer then 10 full time officers. “The officers on these small agencies need to know how to do it
all — because they have to do it all.”
Thank you to the Board and the residents of the Town of Mukwonago for your support during
2013. Only with the ongoing support of our residents can we continue to be successful in
keeping our community safe and enjoyable to live in. A safe community is a priority for all of
us.
In service to you,
Chief Thomas Czarnecki
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Personnel
Officer Michael Bennett was hired as a full time officer on September
23, 2013. Officer Bennett filled an open position when Officer Heckman left the Department on May 15, 2013. Officer Heckman had
served since March 15, 2002. Officer Adam Fruend resigned on August 12, 2013, to focus on his full time job. Officer Freund had served
since July 6, 2010. Officer Charles Breager resigned on June 8, 2013.
Officer Braeger started on May 29, 2005. He was credited with helping establish the Boat Patrol on Phantom Lake as one of the best in
the State. He resigned to spend more time enjoying his retirement.
Officer Michael Bennett
Officer Adam Freund
Officer Christopher Heckman
Officer Charles Braeger
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Donations/Grants
Phantom Lakes Management District - $1,100.00 equipment and training for the Ice Patrol.
WIJIS - $15,878.00 for a server and computer upgrades.
DOJ - $1120.00 Training expense reimbursement
Mukwonago Ins. Services LLC DBA The House of Insurance - $100.00 for Taser’s
DOT - HVE Grant of $26,039.32 to cover the cost of overtime and equipment.
Wal-Mart—$1000.00 for AV Equipment
Mukwonago Yamaha (Rick Silkworth, pictured below on right) - 2013 Yamaha Rhino.
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Community Initiatives
In 2013 the police Department participated in several community initiatives. The following list
will explain each of those initiatives as well as services offered.
Once again the department in cooperation with PROJECT CHILDSAFE handed out gun locks at no charge. PROJECT
CHILDSAFE is a nationwide safety education program. Gunlocks are provided to anyone for the asking in order to ensure
that firearms are secure in any residence that houses children.
High Visibility Enforcement
In FY2012 running from September 2012 thru September 2013 the Town of Mukwonago Police Department was awarded two grants. One for speeding enforcement and one for seatbelt
enforcement. They are known as HVE or High Visibility Enforcement grants from the State of
Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation. The State awards these grants to the departments because they deem that there are too many automobile crashes within the Town related to those
violations. The intent of the grant was for the department to complete saturation patrols to reduce instances of speeding and crashes, and increase the usage of seatbelts by the motoring public. Town of Mukwonago Police Department Officers conducted 46 deployments for 552 enforcement hours. These deployments resulted in officers conducting 725 traffic stops and issuing 841 citations. In addition, officers gave 200 traffic warnings and made 18 arrests.
Also, in cooperation with the Village of Mukwonago Police Department
and Citizens Bank in Mukwonago, the department handed out Green
Bay Packer football cards. This program helps our officers make a connection with
our youth, building friendships and trust while handing out the latest sports cards
which contain messages encouraging good citizenship and responsibility. Special
thanks to the Village of Mukwonago Police Department for their partnership in these
safety initiatives and community outreach.
MUKWONAGO POLICE EXPLORER POST #429
The Mukwonago Police Explorer Post #429 is a joint venture between the Village/
Town of Mukwonago Police Department and the Boy Scouts of America, Potawatomi Area Council, Waukesha, Wisconsin. The program is open to young men and women, ages
14 through 20. The major goal of the program is to provide the structure and resources needed
for the youth of America to learn about career opportunities, to make ethical choices, and to
achieve their full potential as individuals.
The advisor for Mukwonago Post # 429 is Officer Andrew Douglass (TMPD) and Officer Cory
Kirkpatrick (VMPD).
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The explorers train periodically at the department. Training includes basic evidence collection, traffic
stop procedures, defense and arrest tactics, and first responder training. We are also planning on joint
training with the Muskego Police Explorer program.
For the second year in a row the Town/
Village Police Departments competed
against the Fire Department to see who
could raise the most money for The Salvation Army. There was 100% participation
from Town officers (that were not working)
who volunteered their time to raise money
for Mukwonago families in need. The Police Department/s raised $1,189.36. The
Fire Department raised $993.01.
Neighborhood Watch continues to be a part of our community. If you would like to receive updates on current crime trends along with helpful tips to avoid being a victim, send
the Department an email request at tczarnecki@mukwonagopolice.org.
Officer Craig Ketola represented the Department in cooperation with the
Village of Mukwonago at our local gathering for National Night Out. He
displayed drug information as well as demonstrated the “Drunk Goggles”
allowing people to experience what intoxication looks like.
The Town of Mukwonago would like to thank the Mukwonago and surrounding community residents
for making our 1st Annual Fill the Bus Thanksgiving Food Drive a huge success. Donations were collected at the Mukwonago Town Hall on Thursday, November 21st from 8am to 7pm.
The Town would like to thank Hanks Transportation for providing “The Bus,” along with Pepsi,
Schuett Farms and BP Gas for their donations and support.
The Mukwonago Community Commission Kitchen Kupboard was very grateful for the 27 boxes plus
of food and frozen turkeys donated to them. These donations helped provide 21 Mukwonago families
with a Thanksgiving meal.
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Trauma” stuffed animals are stocked through donations in patrol cars. The value to a traumatized
youngster of a huggable stuffed animal amid the turmoil of an auto accident, medical emergency, fire, or
domestic dispute is unmeasured. This is another public relations program where we (and the kids) "win"
when we hand out a stuffed animal.
For older children we have partnered with “With Wings and a
Halo” to provide age appropriate books. Books are provided to
older children in the same way the stuffed animals are provided
to younger children. This program is also funded through donations.
Notary Public Services - Administrative Assistant Melissa Goetz provides notary services to the public at
no charge. Notary services are available to the community at no charge from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Monday - Friday.
Vacant Premise Checks - In 2013 officers conducted 804 vacant house checks and 152 business checks.
When the time permits, upon request, officers will make periodic checks of vacant or vacation homes as
well as businesses. Requests for checks can be made through the department website, over the phone
or in person.
On April 5, 2010 Gov-Pay was introduced to enable fines to be paid remotely by credit/debit card. In
2010, 96 payments were made through Gov-Pay totaling $9,717.00. In 2011, 193 payments were made
totaling $21,366.51. In 2012, 287 payments were made totaling $28,632.26. In 2013, 287 payments
were made totaling $31,252.96. Gov-Pay can be accessed through the department website.
We continue to be a location where vehicle registrations can be renewed through DOT
without having to travel to a DMV location. Registration stickers are issued for renewals.
In 2011, we expanded service to include license plate and title transactions. There were 57
DMV transactions in 2013 for license renewal, license/title applications and replacement
titles. Transactions totaled $12,344.06 with $572.70 going to the Town.
5 Year Review of Open
Records Requests
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
—
—
—
—
—
153
195
173
186
147
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Not counting calls made direct to the department during business hours,
officers were dispatched to 13,224 calls for service from citizens in the
Town of Mukwonago area including fire and ambulance calls. In 2013 officers responded to;
174 calls for ambulance service and 30 fire calls
16 missing juveniles/ 1 missing adults
485 reports were taken and investigated
52 Operating While Intoxicated investigations
111 traffic complaints
17 underage drinking violations
1,364 traffic stops were conducted
35 drug charges
1584 citations were issued
184 calls for automobile crashes
90 operator license violations 119 operating without insurance
108 boating citations 81 boating warnings
25 theft complaints
172 motorists were assisted
43 outstanding warrant arrests cleared
181 animal complaints were investigated
311 times we provided backup to other departments
There were 53 burglary calls with 11 successful
burglaries
4 sex offenses investigated
3 death investigations
10 emergency detentions to mental health
47 disorderly conduct calls
42 Criminal Damage to Property investigations
804 Vacation house and 1094 business/park checks 40 wellbeing checks
340 extra patrols were conducted
147 suspicious person/activity/vehicle
34 courtesy vehicle lockouts were completed
6 death/suicide investigations
26 harassment complaints
17 shots fired investigations
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The police department fleet consists of four
Ford Crown Victoria’s, one Chevy Tahoe, a
2007 16’ Triumph patrol boat and one
Yamaha Rhino for Ice Patrol. A total of
93,597 miles were driven in 2013. Squads
finished the year with the following mileage;
#1
2011 Squad #1—76,750
2011 Squad #2—79,412
2010 Squad #3—65,849
2011 Squad #4—87,282
#2
Fuel costs for the year were $26,540.56
#5
#3
#4
The Boat Patrol provides coverage for the Town of
Mukwonago waterways. 161 warnings were given and 59
citations were issued during 261 hours of patrol. The
boat patrol is fully staffed by part-time officers.
2013 Yamaha Rhino obtained with assistance of Mukwonago Yamaha and
Manager Rick Silkworth. The vehicle was donated for three months during the winter months. During 2013 the ice was patrolled 48 hours over
10 days. During that time, we made 20 contacts, issued 7 citations, and
gave 14 verbal warnings. We also responded to 9 complaints on the ice
for speed, noise, or unsafe operation, 2 reports of shanty fires, several
shanty's through the ice, and 3 vehicle crashes on the ice.
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Vehicular Collisions
Officers responded to 113
reportable automobile
crashes that generated
reports and 71 nonreportable crashes.
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Police Commission
The Police Commission is made up of five community members appointed by the Town
Chairman to five year terms. The current members are:
Commissioner Ron Holasek
Chairman Karl Miller
Commissioner Robert Maus
Commissioner Gail Yerke
Commissioner Lyle Boucher
Term ends in 2014
Term ends in 2015
Term ends in 2016
Term ends in 2017
Term ends in 2018
The Police Commission receives its authority under State Statute 60.61 and 62.13.
The Commission is responsible for the following areas:
Appoint, suspend or remove the Police Chief under “just cause”.
Approve all appointments/promotions made by the Police Chief.
Approve competitive exams used to judge suitability for appointments of subordinates.
Approve each list of individuals determined to be eligible for appointment.
Suspend the Chief or subordinates pending the filing and hearing of charges against
them.
Initiate charges against the Chief or any subordinates.
Hear charges filed against the Chief or subordinates, make findings and
determinations, and impose penalties.
Hear appeals of disciplinary actions initiated by the Chief against any subordinates.
It is with great thanks that this department would like recognize them for the long hours of
service in their volunteer posts.
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