TOWN OF MUKWONAGO

POLICE DEPARTMENT

2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Help People

PREVENT CRIME

Enforce the Law

2

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

3

A MES SAGE FROM CHIEF CZARNECKI

“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.”

On May 19, 2014, “Safe Wise” published an article “50 Safest Cities in Wisconsin.” The arti-

cle, written by Carolyn Heneghan, used numbers from the FBI Crime Report for communities

with a population over 5,000 in 2012. Out of the list of the 50 safest cities, the Town of

Mukwonago appeared at number four (#4). Here is an excerpt from that article; “For many

people, there’s nothing like living on the water, and if you’re looking for a safe place to live in a picturesque riverfront state away from the East or West Coast, Wisconsin should be your next destination. We’ve started with all cities with a population of over 5,000 as of 2012 and then found those who met our criteria for the lowest violent and property crimes rates, based on those FBI statis-tics. This includes everything from violent crimes, such as robberies, murders, forcible rapes, and aggravated assaults, to property crimes, such as burglaries, property thefts, motor vehicle thefts, and arsons. We then calculated the number of occurrences happening out of 1,000 to more accurately account for cities with larger populations.” I would like to personally thank the

officers who made that possible. Our officers work hard to make our town a safe and enjoyable

place to live.

Along with the honor of being named, in 2010, as the “Top Ranked Suburb of the Milwaukee

Metro Area” by Milwaukee Metro Magazine, makes us all feel privileged to reside and/or work

in the Town of Mukwonago. The list ranked the Town number one (#1) by using criteria such

as, safety, schools, property and home appreciation. We will continue to work hard to keep it

that way.

In 2014 the police department continued its mission to increase our community involvement.

We were purposeful in seeking out opportunities to break down perceived barriers between law

enforcement and citizens. We worked as a team to come up with ideas that were turned into

opportunities. It sometimes involved officers giving of their own time without compensation and

even partnerships with other entities to provide a quality product to our citizens. No idea was to

big to consider. We determined, like the above quote, to “Do what you can, with what you

have, where you are.” The following pages will outline, not only what we do on a day to day ba-

sis as part of our regular duties, but also the extra, special projects that we have introduced in an

effort to connect with our community.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

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Community Initiatives

In 2014 the police Department participated in several community initiatives. The following list

will explain each of those initiatives as well as services offered.

Firearm Safety Course

Officer Brad DeGrow is certified to teach the Department of Justice approved

Firearm Safety Course that is required prior to applying for a Concealed Carry

Permit in the state of Wisconsin. Officer DeGrow provides this training to civil-

ians at different times throughout the year. Officer DeGrow is the departments

firearms instructor.

Hunter Safety Education

In September hunter safety classes were offered. Town of Mukwonago

Police Officers are trained by the Department of Natural Resources to

provide the classes. The class will be offered annually at the Town Hall.

All Terrain Vehicle Safety Course (ATV)

In July an ATV safety course was offered. Town of Mukwonago Police Offic-

ers are trained by the Department of Natural Resources to provide the classes.

Anyone born after December 31, 1987, who rides on public lands, needs to

pass the course prior to riding.

Home Alone Safety Class

The Home Alone Program is designed to help parents determine if their child is ready

to stay home alone. Kids ages 9 and up will learn the basic safety skills for being at home

when their parents are gone. Both child and parent are required to attend the 1-1/2 hour pro-

gram. Children are taught fire safety, security principles from police and fire officials while par-

ents are allowed to ask questions of the police and fire department representatives.

This class is offered in cooperation with the Mukwonago Recreation Department, both

Mukwonago Police Departments and the Mukwonago Fire Department.

Bicycle Safety

In May officers participated in the Rolling Hills Elementary School Bike Rodeo.

The event raised money for the Mukwonago Food Pantry. Officers focused on

rules of the road and bicycle safety.

Boater Safety Course

In April a Boater Safety Course was offered. Town of Mukwonago Police Officers are trained

by the Department of Natural Resources to provide the classes. Anyone born after December

31, 1988, who operates a motorboat or PWC, needs to pass the course prior to operation.

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High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) In FY2014 running from September 2013 thru September 2014 the Town of

Mukwonago Police Department was awarded a traffic safety grant targeting op-

erating while intoxicated. The grant is also known as HVE or High Visibility Enforce-

ment and administered by the State of Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation. The State awards

these grants to law enforcement agencies based on the number of automobile crashes for each

jurisdiction. The intent of the grant was for the department to complete saturation patrols to re-

duce instances of speeding and crashes, and increase the usage of seatbelts by the motoring pub-

lic. Town of Mukwonago Police Department Officers conducted 26 deployments for 104

enforcement hours. These deployments resulted in officers conducting 374 traffic stops and is-

suing 373 citations. In addition, officers gave 92 traffic warnings and made 18 arrests.

In cooperation with PROJECT CHILDSAFE we hand out gun locks free of 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 res-

idence that houses children.

Packer Football Cards

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 friend-

ships and trust while handing out the latest sports cards which contain messages en-

couraging good citizenship and responsibility. Special thanks to the Village of

Mukwonago Police Department for their partnership in these safety initiatives and

community outreach.

Coffee With A Cop

In 2014 with the cooperation of Culver’s and the Village of

Mukwonago Police Department, we held several listening ses-

sions. Culver’s provided a space and the coffee free of charge to

the citizens. Officers from both police departments attended.

The goal is to provide an impartial location for the community to meet with law

enforcement without the barriers of bullet proof glass and locked doors.

Community Initiatives cont.

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MUKWONAGO POLICE EXPLORER POST #429

The Mukwonago Police Explorer Post #429 is a joint venture between the Vil-

lage/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 po-

tential as individuals.

The advisor for Mukwonago Post # 429 is Officer Michael Bennett (TMPD) and Officer Cory

Kirkpatrick (VMPD). The explorers train periodically at the department. Training includes basic evidence collection, traffic

stop procedures, defense and arrest tactics, and first responder training.

For the third 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

$1,114.09. The Fire Department raised $718.36. The real winners are the families in

need that will benefit.

Neighborhood Watch continues to be a part of our community. If you would like to re-

ceive 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 infor-

mation 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 2nd Annual Fill the Bus Thanksgiving Food Drive a huge success. Donations were col-

lected at the Mukwonago Town Hall on Thursday, November 14th from 8am to 7pm.

The Town would like to thank Hanks Transportation for providing “The Bus,”.

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 20 Mukwonago families

with a Thanksgiving meal.

Community Initiatives cont.

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Community Initiatives cont.

2014 was the 2nd year that the Town of Mukwonago Police Department was a

member of the Southeast Wisconsin OWI taskforce. We have joined with 27

other law enforcement agencies from Milwaukee and Waukesha counties to

find and arrest those who chose to drink and drive.. Our mission is as follows: The Southeast Wisconsin OWI Task Force is a team of law enforcement agencies committed to being leaders in the apprehension of impaired

drivers in Wisconsin. We are dedicated to creating safe roadways for the motoring public to drive without the threat of impaired drivers. We will work collaboratively as a united force to ensure the safety of our communities. The Task Force is built on integrity without compromise and is sworn to provide professional performance in the reduction of impaired drivers. We will stop, test, arrest and lockup as many impaired drivers as necessary to prevent needless injuries and deaths on our roadways.

During 2014 member agencies belonging to the task force worked collectively to make 5,264

traffic stops, issue 3,874 citations, give 2,303 traffic warnings, make 188 non OWI arrests, and

make 259 OWI arrests. The Town of Mukwonago Police Department is committed to con-

tinue our collaborative efforts to make our roads safe for the motoring public.

Each year the Town of Mukwonago Police Department conducts tours

to Scouting groups. Scouts earn recognition for learning about service

to community. We are privileged to partner with the Scouts whenever

possible.

Donations/Grants

Phantom Lakes Management District - $2,000.00 for equipment and training for the Recreation

Patrol.

DOJ - $800.00 Training expense reimbursement

DOT - HVE Grant of $15,000 to cover the cost of overtime and equipment.

Mukwonago Yamaha (Rick Silkworth, pictured below on right) - 2014 Yamaha Viking.

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Open Records

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 chil-

dren. 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 2014 officers conducted 1,785 vacant house checks and 705 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. In 2014, 328 payments were made totaling

$41,396.51. 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 61

DMV transactions in 2014 for license renewal, license/title applications and replacement titles. Transac-

tions totaled $10,214.12 with $652.35 going to the Town.

Community Initiatives cont.

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Not counting calls made direct to the department during business hours,

officers responded to 17,837 calls for service from citizens in the Town of

Mukwonago area including fire and ambulance calls. This is an increase of

4,613 calls. In 2014 officers responded to or investigated:

657 911 calls

234 ambulance/fire calls

349 traffic complaints

1,774 traffic stops were conducted

1,853 citations were issued

201 calls for automobile crashes

108 boating citations 81 boating warnings

173 motorists were assisted

156 animal complaints were investigated

There were 46 burglary alarm calls with

15 burglaries

3 death investigations

53 disorderly conduct calls

804 Vacation house and 1094 business/park

checks

340 extra patrols were conducted

37 courtesy vehicle lockouts were completed

46 harassment complaints

10 missing persons investigations

97 Operating While Intoxicated investigations

32 underage drinking violations

83 drug charges

139 operator license violations 152 operating

without insurance

49 theft complaints

464 outstanding warrant arrests cleared

429 times we provided backup to other depart-

ments

20 sex offenses investigated

12 emergency detentions to mental health

29 Criminal Damage to Property investigations

65 well being checks

273 suspicious person/activity/vehicle

85 domestic violence/family trouble calls

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The Boat Patrol provides coverage for the Town of

Mukwonago waterways. 94 warnings were given and 56

citations, including 1 boating while intoxicated, were is-

sued during 272 hours of patrol. The boat patrol is fully

staffed by part-time officers.

2014 Yamaha Viking obtained with assistance of Mukwonago Yamaha and

Manager Rick Silkworth. The vehicle was donated for three months dur-

ing the winter. During 2014 the ice was patrolled 15 hours over 7 days.

During that time, we made 22 contacts, issued 18 citations, including 1 for

OWI, and gave 16 verbal warnings. We also responded to numerous

complaints on the ice for speed, noise, or unsafe operation.

#1 #2

#3 #5

#4

The police department fleet consists of

Three Ford Crown Victoria’s, One Ford

Explorer, one Chevy Tahoe, a 2007 16’

Triumph patrol boat and one Yamaha Vi-

king for Ice Patrol. A total of 46,670 miles

were driven in 2014. Squads finished the

year with the following mileage;

2011 Squad #1—97,190

2014 Squad #2—11,375

2010 Squad #3—74,901

2011 Squad #4—133,952

2008 Tahoe #5

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Vehicular Collisions

Officers responded to 113 re-

portable automobile crashes

that generated reports and 88

non-reportable crashes.

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The Office of Justice

Assistance (OJA) re-

ported in its 2012 An-

nual Report that for

the state of Wisconsin

in 2012 the average

number of full time

officers for 1000 resi-

dents was 2.21. In

Waukesha County

there were 1.7 per

1000 people. In the

Town of Mukwonago

there were 0.75. The

Town of Mukwonago

population based on

the 2010 census was

7959. The Town em-

ploys 6 full time offic-

ers. That's one officer

for every 1,327 peo-

ple. When broken

down by counties in

Wisconsin, the Town’s rate of 0.75 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 0.75 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 agen-

cies 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.”

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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: Chairman Karl Miller Term ends in 2015 Commissioner Robert Maus Term ends in 2016 Commissioner Gail Yerke Term ends in 2017 Commissioner Lyle Boucher Term ends in 2018 Commissioner Michael Zens Term ends in 2019 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.