OPD Newsletter CITY OF OSHKOSH. The Chief s Corner. Volume 2, December Inside this issue. Happy Holidays to All!

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1 Volume 2, December 2016 CITY OF OSHKOSH OPD Newsletter Inside this issue The Chief s Corner... 1 Administrative Services Bureau... 4 Crime Prevention... 9 Patrol Services Bureau Investigative Services Bureau OPD Out & About OPD Anniversaries Auxiliary Anniversaries. 40 Job Well Done! The Chief s Corner Happy Holidays to All! As 2016 is coming to a close, I believe it is fitting for me to write to each of you about the year in review. Certainly this year has brought a change to the Oshkosh Police Department with the Retirement of Chief Greuel and with my coming to the Department. But we should not lose sight of others who have retired over the year. In addition, recognizing those who will be retiring in 2017! Law Enforcement has had a difficult year throughout the country. Men and women who stand with us in law enforcement have paid the ultimate sacrifice. I am so very proud of the way our Department has responded to the challenges facing our profession. In the coming year, I call on each of you to be ever vigilant at ensuring that we uphold the values that we hold true here in the Oshkosh Police Department.

2 This has been an exciting time for the Department and I know that there has been a lot of change. We have begun many exciting initiatives and have more to come. My focus over this last year was to truly learn about the community, the Department and most importantly each of you. Identifying areas that we as a Department can grow and improve upon with an emphasis on doing what is right for the community. We will not always get it right but if our hearts are in the right place we will succeed far more times than we will fail. The first of the year is bringing to us some promotions and transfers that I believe will strengthen both the Department and our officers. In 2017 we will begin our drug initiative and we have the support of our community. We will be going through our CALEA Assessment for re-accreditation. We will also be having some major construction occurring here in the Public Safety Building with the installation of our fencing for the squads as well as the beginning of the renovations of both locker rooms. I have touched on only a few of the initiatives we have undertaken in the past year as well as some of our goals for next year. Together lets work to make this Department shine in our community as a model of commitment to service for our residents and visitors alike. I look forward to the coming year, and I wish you and your families a Happy Holiday season! 2

3 For the past several months, police relations with citizens in communities throughout the United States have been fractured. In light of the tragic events that took place on July 7 in Dallas, TX, where 5 Police Officers lost their lives in the line of duty, Chief Smith felt it was important to not only show our solidarity as a police department, but to unite with the Oshkosh community to demonstrate our commitment to work together to build a better, safer Oshkosh. On Friday, July 8, Chief Smith, with the help of Tracey Robertson, Co-Founder/Executive Director of FIT Oshkosh, organized a Unity Walk. The Unity Walk started at Opera House Square and continued along Main Street. Approximately 200 citizens joined together to participate in the walk. 3

4 Administrative Services Bureau Captain Kelly Kent New Faces..New Places As another year draws to a close, I want to offer my sincere thanks for everyone s hard work this year and hope all of you will find time to spend with family and friends during the holidays. There is much to report from the Administrative Services Bureau since the last newsletter, and this will be my last time reporting to you from the ASB. Please read on for the latest information. In July and August, we hired two new Parking Control Officers. Blake Tetzlaff joined us in July and Anthony Aalbregtse joined us in August. They are working with Lane Fox to enforce our 2am to 5am parking ordinance, with each of them assigned to an off group rotation. In August, we also said goodbye to Officer Corey Haag who resigned after four years of service to accept a Police Officer position at the Village of Fox Crossing. We thank Corey for his service and wish him well at his new Department. August was an eventful month as we also hired two new Police Officers. Kianna Blount previously worked as a Community Service Officer and she is now in the late stages of our Field Training and Evaluation Program. Adam Poepping was hired at the same time and he is also in the late stages of our Field Training and Evaluation program. Both are graduates of the certification track program at Fox Valley Technical College. October was also an eventful month with several comings and goings. Officer Mary Jo Derenne retired In October after nearly 22 years of dedicated service. She will definitely be missed and we wish her well in her retirement. During October Aaron Duke also resigned from his position as Crime Analyst. We wish Aaron well in his new endeavors as well. A hiring process is currently underway to select his replacement. We hired Joshua Kislewski as our newest Community Service Officer in October. During October, we also hired three new Police Officers. Ben Phillips previously worked as a Community Service Officer. He was hired as a Police Officer along with Cody Rukamp and Trey Johnson. All three are graduates of UW-Oshkosh and completed their recruit academy training at 4

5 Fox Valley Technical College, and they are currently advancing through our Field Training and Evaluation Program. There are two additional resignations to report for December. Officer Ben Boese will resign from his position after 5 years of service to accept a Police Officer position at the North Hudson Police Department. CSO Jacob Wallner also resigned to accept a part time Police Officer position with the Markesan Police Department and to pursue full time employment elsewhere. We wish both of them success with their future plans. Finally, we will recommend at the December 20th Police and Fire Commission meeting that Zachary Wilkens be hired as our newest Police Officer, effective January 3, Zach graduated from the recruit academy at Fox Valley Technical College on December 9 and will be an excellent fit here. With the pending retirement of Lieutenant Don Wilson in January, at the December PFC meeting we will also recommend the promotion of Sergeant Matt Kroening to Lieutenant and the promotion of School Resource Officer Dave Maas to Sergeant. The promotions will be effective January 13, Please join me in congratulating all of them. We also ran selection processes for several Department teams and special assignments over the last six months. Officer Kate Mann has been appointed to the Crash Investigation Team, Officers Mike Hotter and Rob Kraemer have been selected as Field Training Officers, a new officer has been selected to serve in an undercover capacity in the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit, and the following five officers were selected to the Mobile Filed Force (formerly the Tactical Unit): Matt Ziegler, Tony Flaig, Grant Wilson, Scott Sopata, and Keith Norkofski. Please join me in congratulating all of the above officers. Selection processes are currently underway for the Vice and Narcotics Unit (formerly the Drug Task Force) and School Resource Officer position and those processes will be completed soon. Finally, in addition to all the comings and goings, there will also be several reassignments within our leadership team in Effective January 2, I will be Captain of the Patrol Services Bureau and Kurt Schoeni will be Captain of the Administrative Services Bureau. There will be several other supervisory changes taking place January 13. Watch for details of all the additional moves in the next newsletter. That s all the news for now. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. You are also invited to see Lieutenant Kevin Konrad for matters related to the Professional Standards Division, and Office Manager MaiNue Khang for matters related to the Records Division. 5

6 R E T I R E M E N T OPD celebrated the retirement of Officer Mary Jo Derenne on Friday, September 23, Mary Jo proudly served the City of Oshkosh and the Oshkosh Police Department for 22 years as a Patrol Officer. During her tenure, Mary Jo was actively involved in several Special Teams, with special recognition for her 8 years of service as a member of the Oshkosh Police Honor Guard. We wish Mary Jo a long, healthy and happy retirement! 6

7 Badge Pinning Ceremony On Tuesday, November 15, 2016, the Oshkosh Police Department held a Badge Pinning Ceremony to recognize the hiring of Police Officers: Kianna Blount Adam Poepping Benjamin Phillips Cody Rukamp Trey Johnson Congratulations & Welcome to the OPD Team! 7

8 The Oshkosh Police Department celebrated the promotions of Sergeant Matt Kroening and Dave Maas, welcomed new Police Officer Zachary Wilkens and presented retired Police Officer Mary Jo Derenne with her retirement shadow box during a Police and Fire Commission meeting held on Tuesday, December 20. Sergeant Matt Kroening was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and School Resource Officer Dave Maas was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Officer Mary Jo Derenne retired in October after serving 22 years with the Oshkosh Police Department and the City of Oshkosh. CONGRATULATIONS to Matt, Dave, Zachary and Mary Jo!! 8

9 Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols Oshkosh Neighborhood Night Out To make a city great, you need citizens who have a take charge attitude and deeply care about their neighbors and the community as a whole. Oshkosh has those citizens! Organizers from nine neighborhood associations once again proved their dedication and commitment to the Oshkosh community during the Annual Oshkosh Neighborhood Night Out event held on Tuesday, August. 2. Neighbors joined together with law enforcement to celebrate and promote community-building efforts to make our city a safer, better place to live. Activities throughout the night included K9, SWAT, and vehicle demonstrations. We encourage citizens to join us again next year for another successful Oshkosh Neighborhood Night Out! 9

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11 Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols On September 29, 2016, the Oshkosh Police Department held a Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Oshkosh Seniors Center. Topics of discussion included Neighborhood Associations, a review of this year s Oshkosh Neighborhood Night Out and current crime trends. Participants had an opportunity to talk with police supervisors and officers with regard to issues in their neighborhoods. November 10 marked the final Neighborhood Watch meeting of 2016! The meeting was held at the Oshkosh Seniors Center with 31 citizens in attendance. A presentation on ID Theft and Scams was given, members discussed drug activity and speeding issues in their neighborhoods, and a small celebration of the holidays was enjoyed by all participants. Ann Resop presented Officer Mike Kirby with the gift of a clock and a cake to recognize his 36 years of service to the Oshkosh community! The Oshkosh Neighborhood Watch sent a special thank you to all the officers who work with them throughout the year. We look forward to getting back together again in 2017! 11

12 Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols The 2016 Citizen s Police Academy concluded Tuesday, October 25 with a graduation ceremony in the Oshkosh Police Department Erickson Community Room. Participants of the program attended a six-week interactive academy where they learned firsthand about the police operations in the City of Oshkosh. Attendees engaged in training topics such as Crime Scene Investigation, Drug Trends and the K9 Program, Use of Force, and Personal Safety & Defense. Congratulations to our 10 graduates of this year s Citizen s Academy! We hope you will consider joining us for the 2017 Citizen s Police Academy. For more information, please contact Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols at (920)

13 Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols Beyond the Badge Makes Changes! The Beyond the Badge program will be getting a face lift in the upcoming year! Chief Smith has asked officers from the police department to give their thoughts on camera on why they became a Police Officer and they chose to serve in Oshkosh. These 3-4 minute interviews give a Behind the Badge look at officers and show the personal side to each officer. Beyond the Badge will also be hitting the streets of Oshkosh to ask citizens what their concerns for safety in Oshkosh are and provide an opportunity for them to comment on policing in Oshkosh. A show will then be produced from these comments received by the citizens. This is yet another way to build community relationships with the citizens of Oshkosh. We hope that you will enjoy the changes to the program, and we hope the show will answer those questions that citizens have! 13

14 Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols S.A.L.T. Returns! SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) was a program that was facilitated by the Winnebago County Sheriff s Office up until the end of It was determined at that time that the group was no longer viable and the meetings would end due to lack of participation from community members. SALT is beginning once again in January The SALT program is being built around a strong leadership group from the senior community, enthusiasm from organizations that assist and support seniors in the community and law enforcement partners who can provide information to keep seniors safe and improve their quality of life. Did you know that 10,000 adults turn 65 each and every day in the United States? This will occur for the next 19 years as the Baby-Boom Generation gets older. More seniors are at risk now more than ever from crimes that could affect them. If you know of an older adult that would like to join SALT, please pass on this information to them and that they may contact Officer Joe Nichols at the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) Thank you! 14

15 Patrol Services Bureau Captain Kurt Schoeni Seasons greetings from the Patrol Division! It s been a while since the last newsletter, so I would like to give you a little news on what s happening here at the police department. The event season has slowed down, so the Patrol Division is enjoying a short break from all the extra hustle and bustle associated with the events. The Patrol Officers, Patrol Supervisors, Community Service Officers and Auxiliary Unit did a great job handling the increased number of events that occurred this year. They kept the events running smooth and made sure that everyone was safe. Thanks for all the hard work everyone! We have seen a lot of change in the last year here at OPD. We have one full year under our belt with our new Chief, Chief Dean Smith. During the year, we all got to know him and learn from his leadership style. In Patrol, we continued to follow the model of Team Policing and participated in events like Coffee with a Cop, the Special Olympics Torch Run, the Thanksgiving meal distribution with the Boys and Girls Club and Shop with a Cop. Over the years, events like these have become an engrained part of the Patrol Division and although we continue to handle a heavy call volume, we are still finding the time to connect with the community in positive ways. Since the last newsletter we have also seen change in our personnel. We have had several officers retire, move to other departments and move within their positions here at the department. I know that Captain Kent has written more in-depth about these moves in the Administrative section of this newsletter but I just wanted to touch on the position of Captain of Patrol. 15

16 For the past seven or eight years now, I have had the privilege of serving as the Captain of the Patrol Services Bureau. It s a challenging position due to the large number of officers, supervisors and specialty teams associated with it. It s a bureau that is always busy with either the calls-for-service or the proactive work that we are doing in the neighborhoods of our community. However, the rewards are many in this bureau as well. I have worked with many great people including supervisors, officers and civilian staff alike. In my position, I have enjoyed my work because of all of the people who were willing to work with me at providing a better service to the community. In the New Year, I look forward to the challenges of my new role as the Captain of Administration. I have already been working directly with many of the people in this bureau and they are all of the same caliber as those I have just described in Patrol. I look forward to learning from them and getting to know them so that we can continue to improve the bureau and improve our service to the community. That s all the news I have for now. Thanks for taking the time to read about what our department has been doing to serve you and for all the support that you show us on a daily basis. Merry Christmas and may you enjoy a safe and happy holiday season! 16

17 Coffee The Oshkosh Police Department s Coffee With A Cop initiative kicked off on Tuesday morning, September 6, at Caramel Crisp Café. There s no better way to connect with your community than through a good cup of coffee and that s just what Chief Smith and several officers did as citizens and business people stopped by to discuss law enforcement and the community. Mike s Place Family Restaurant hosted the next event on Friday, October 7. The citizens and officers enjoy the interaction and discussions. Coffee With A Cop is one more way to bring Police Officers together with the community members they serve. It s all about building relationships One Cup At A Time! 17

18 The Oshkosh Police Department teamed up again this year with Fit Oshkosh for the 2nd Annual Kids & Cops Basketball Game. The game took place on Sunday, October 2 from 10 am 2 pm at Albee Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The event was organized and initiated by Fit Oshkosh as a way to develop healthy relationships between minority kids in the community and the Oshkosh Police Officers. Chief Dean Smith, Officers Don Franklin, Brenden Bonnett, Tony Flaig, Sarah Pauer, Kianna Blount, Sergeants Joe Framke, Brandon Ansell and Community Service Officer Dani Jo Burns participated in the event. The Department s CCOV was also on site for tours. Tracey Robertson stopped by Roll Call on Thursday, October 27 to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Chief Smith and the officers who participated in the game. Back by popular demand this year, the basketball event anticipates a return in 2017! 18

19 The Oshkosh Police Department would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude for the overwhelming response of support we have received from the Oshkosh community. Families, businesses, churches, organizations and individuals have sent cards, stopped by with gifts of food, gift cards, homemade posters and cards thanking the Officers for their dedication and hard work protecting our community and keeping us safe! Also, thank you to 4Imprint for providing THANK YOU OSHKOSH POLICE water bottles to the Department in recognition of Thank a Police Officer Day on September 17! 19

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21 Detective Chee Vang coordinated the 4 th Annual Fall Clean Up for elders in the community. The effort was coordinated through ADVOCAP with assistance from youth volunteer workers from the Boys & Girls Club Step Up Program working together with officers and their families to help elderly residents prepare their homes for winter. Workers provided leaf raking and window washing services to three Oshkosh residents on Saturday, November 12. Participating volunteers included Detective Chee Vang, Sgt. Joe Framke and his sons Blake and Dane, Sgt. Matt Ziegler and his son Tucker, Officer Mike Kirby, Officer Tony Flaig, Officer Don Franklin, Officer Cody Rukamp and Community Service Officer Dani Jo Burns. 21

22 The Oshkosh Police Department partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to deliver Thanksgiving meals to approximately 15 families on Wednesday, November 23 as part of the Annual Boys and Girls Club Thanksgiving Meal program. The Thanksgiving meals were provided by Festival Foods. Chief Dean Smith, Captain Kurt Schoeni and his son Ryan and friend Keenan Rohn, Sergeant Matt Ziegler and Officer Alex Fowler, along with BGC Board President John Krause and his family and friends, helped deliver the meals. The families that received the meals were extremely grateful and expressed their sincere appreciation for the generosity shown. The Oshkosh Police Department thanks the Boys and Girls Club for including us in this heartwarming holiday experience. 22

23 With the generous donations from citizens and organizations, children from the Oshkosh Boys and Girls Club Step-Up program were once again given the opportunity to Shop with a Cop at Walmart on Tuesday, December 20. The children were able to shop for their families and themselves for gifts that they might otherwise not have had the chance to purchase. The Step-Up program and Shop With A Cop helps builds positive relationships between Oshkosh youth, the Police Department and the Oshkosh community. Chief Smith, Sergeants Eric Stenson, Matt Ziegler and Joe Framke, Detectives Chee Vang and Jeremy Krueger, Officers Joe Nichols, Deana Brandl, Cody Rukamp, Mike Kirby, and Don Franklin, and Community Service Officer Dani Jo Burns participated in the shopping event. Everyone had a great time and there were plenty of smiles and laughter shared throughout the evening. Oshkosh Police Department would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the volunteers and donors who helped make this program possible and the Christmas season a lot brighter for these children! 23

24 Sergeant Eric Stenson, Detective Chee Vang, Officer Don Franklin and Officer Mike Kirby, along with several youth of the Step Up program visited Evergreen Manor on Tuesday, December 13 to spread some holiday cheer to the staff and residents. Members of the OPD Step Up program sang Christmas songs, played games, and delivered greeting cards. The holiday celebration was a great time and the residents enjoyed the time spent with the kids and Officers! 24

25 Investigative Services Bureau Captain Cyndi Thaldorf The Detectives, School Resource Officers and Drug Task Force Officers have all been extremely busy with investigative work, case development and follow-up. Numerous cases have been solved with arrests and their hard work has paid off. Many of these include investigations involving drugs, burglaries, robberies, assaults, frauds, prostitution and internet crimes against children. The Vice-Narcotics Unit (formerly the Drug Task Force) is adding another officer to the unit in We are still completing the selection process and the members will be announced in the near future. ISB would like to extend a welcome to Lt. Brian Schuldes and Sgt. Brandon Ansell. They are both currently working 3 rd shift patrol and will be transferring into ISB in January. SRO Dave Maas is being promoted to the rank of Sergeant and will be assigned to 2 nd shift Patrol beginning in Congratulations Dave! We are also conducting a selection process to fill the position at West High School. ISB personnel have also been involved in a number of collateral projects and events in the city. Some of these are described below. ISB personnel have done a variety of presentations to community groups of all ages. Some of the topics include but are not limited to the following: Drug Amnesty Initiative (Chief Smith, Capt. Thaldorf, Lt. Kaiser and Sgt. Framke) 4 th Annual Fall Clean Up coordinated through ADVOCAP and youth volunteers in the Step- Up Program (Det. Vang and Sgt. Framke) The Job of a Detective for Webster Stanley 2 nd grade students (Det. Vang) Det. Frey was a panel member for a presentation on Human Trafficking sponsored by the Brushfires Foundation School Resource Officers Kari Pettit, Tracey Grubofski and Deana Brandl participated in the International Walk to School Day 25

26 Kids and Cops Basketball Game (Sgt. Framke) SRO Brandl received recognition for her work as a Board member and assistance in planning the annual WI School Resource Officer Conference SRO Pettit was recognized for her work as a Board member for the WI Juvenile Officers Association. She also assisted with planning the WJOA Annual Conference SRO Brandl coached a group of middle school girls at Perry Tipler School in a program that focused on confidence, community and physical activity Lt. Becky Kaiser is currently attending the WI Command College. She attends training for 8 one-week sessions throughout the year with other law enforcement leaders. The training focuses on leadership and management skills promoting the best practices in policing 26

27 D UG SORT The Oshkosh Police Department in conjunction with Lake Winnebago Drug Unit, Winnebago County Health Department, and volunteers from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Nursing program conducted a drug sort on Tuesday, September 20. A record total of 786 pounds of drugs deposited in the Drug Drop Box located in the Safety Building lobby were processed for disposal! We encourage citizens to learn more information about the safe disposal of unused medication by viewing the following link on our website: 27

28 On Tuesday, November 29, Culver s of Oshkosh Westowne once again hosted the DARE to be Culverized fundraiser to help support the local Winnebago/Oshkosh DARE program. Daren the DARE Lion and Scoopie were on site to join in the fun along with DARE Officers to meet, greet and serve the customers. It was another successful fundraiser, raising nearly $500 for the DARE program! Participating in the event was Sgt. Joe Framke, Officers Tony Flaig, Matt Pierce, and Tracey Grubofski. Thank you to everyone who came out to support DARE! 28

29 Sergeant Matt Harris, along with the department s CCOV, attended the Public Safety Day on August 13 held at Fox Valley Technical College Public Safety Training Center. Several of the events included: training demos; K9 police dogs; fire and water rescues; vehicle fire responses; SWAT team demos; Drone demos; aircraft rescue & fire fighting demo and much, much more! Sgt. Harris conducted tours of the Command & Community Outreach Vehicle. He is pictured with Brady and Kennedy Ott. Professional Standards Division Visits Menominee Park Before the start of a new school year, Lieutenant Kevin Konrad, Sergeant Todd Wrage and Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols spent the day in Menominee Park with the department s CCOV. They conducted tours of the CCOV, answered questions from citizens and handed out pencils, badge stickers and magnets to the kids. They demonstrated the Command & Community Outreach Vehicle s ability to go mobile in the event of an emergency. Sgt. Wrage is shown here with some visitors (Top: Kayla, Sydney and Adaylnn/ Bottom: Amelia, Hanako and Hiroyoshi) 29

30 K9 Visits Bella Vista! On Friday, August 26, residents of Bella Vista had some special guests! K9 Officer William Fowler, partner Aik, along with Police Officers Kianna Blount, Ryan Boerner and Deana Krueger conducted a K9 presentation. Afterwards, K9 Aik welcomed several treats he received from the residents! Operation Kidsafe Oshkosh Police Officers Adam Poepping and Andrew Knurowski spent several hours at the Operation Kidsafe child event with the department s CCOV on Saturday, September 17, held at Bergstrom s Subaru in Oshkosh. Operation Kidsafe was celebrating Child Safety Week, offering free digital fingerprinting and photo safety as a community service. Operation Kidsafe is run by the originators of the Amber Alert System and works to safeguard children in communities around the U.S. through digital fingerprinting, education and safety events. 30

31 On Saturday, September 17, Oshkosh Police Lt. Don Wilson was captured live on OPD s Facebook page as he went Over the Edge! His House Christian Fellowship sponsored the tallest fundraiser in town that involved a 104 foot rappel down the old First National Bank building in downtown Oshkosh. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the college campus ministry. Semi Convoy for Special Olympics A special thanks went out to the Oshkosh Auxiliary Police Officers that assisted with the Special Olympics Semi Convoy on Saturday, September 17. Approximately 200 semis made the trek to Oshkosh to park at EAA. Auxiliary Officers assisted with traffic direction to get the semis off the highway and parked as efficiently as possible. Job well done!!! 31

32 The Oshkosh Police Department teamed up once again this year with Buffalo Wild Wings Oshkosh to help the athletes of Special Olympics! On Saturday, September 10, several Officers of the Oshkosh Police Department, Oshkosh Police Auxiliary and Community Service Officers participated in the annual event as guest servers, helping to raise over $3,000 for Special Olympics! A huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers and donors who made this event such a success!! 32

33 Thank you to St. Jude s Parish, Father Matt Simonar, and Deacon Pat Gelhar for celebrating The Blue Mass for emergency responders on Sunday, September 25! TAKE BACK THE NIGHT On Wednesday, October 5, Chief Smith, members of the Command Staff and several officers participated in the 2016 Fox Valley Take Back the Night march and rally events held at the UWO Alumni and Welcome Center. Each year, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, together with partner agencies and citizens throughout the Fox Valley, come together to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence and to make our community a safer place. 33

34 Wednesday, October 5, 2016, International Walk to School Day was celebrated! Several schools participated in the annual event that encourages both students and parents to get out and walk or bike to school and learn about pedestrian safety. Oshkosh Police Officers joined in the celebrations, handing out pencils and stickers and connecting with the kids. Carl Traeger Officer Andrew Knurowski; Merrill Elementary Officer Ryan Boerner; Merrill Middle School SRO Kari Pettit; Webster Stanley SRO Tracey Grubofski; Oaklawn Sgt. Matt Kroening; Roosevelt Officer Troy Brandl; Jefferson Crime Prevention Officer Joe Nichols; Smith Officer Rachel Van Horn; Franklin SRO Deana Brandl; Washington Officer Deana Krueger; and new this year South Park Middle School held a lunch time event attended by SRO Deana Brandl. 34

35 The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh once again held the 3rd Annual Run with the Cops event on Thursday, October 6, to benefit Special Olympics Wisconsin. This family friendly event is more than just a run activities include a law enforcement vehicle display, SWAT gear, touring a police command center, meeting the local K9s, Kids Dash with the Cops, Donut eating contest, the 5K Run/Walk and so much more! Several Officers of the Oshkosh Police Department and their family members, along with Oshkosh Auxiliary Officers joined in the fun to help support Special Olympics. 35

36 Officer Clinton Fettig was captured busting a move with McKenna and posing with Aidyn, Raigyn and Isabylla at the Sawyer Creek Neighborhood Fall Festival held at Carl Traeger Elementary School on Saturday, October 29. (The children shown are Word Processor Char Baehman s grandchildren) Veteran s Day Reception and Salute! Officer Rachel Van Horn participated in the Veteran s Day Reception and Salute held on the morning of November 11 at Jefferson Elementary School. A reception was planned for Jefferson family members who are Veterans followed by a Veteran s salute at the flag pole. 36

37 On Friday, December 9, Lutheran Homes of Oshkosh invited Public Safety members from the Oshkosh area in to show their appreciation. The Oshkosh Police Department, Oshkosh Fire Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff s Office spent time at several of the Lutheran Homes sites, enjoying breakfast, ice cream and networking with all the residents. 37

38 Officer Mike Kirby volunteered at the Most Blessed Sacrament Church on December 21, helping families carry out toys for the holiday season as part of the Salvation Army Toy Drive. 38

39 OPD Anniversaries July September November Cathy Lehndorf Dave Gomoll Ed Skeels Deana Krueger Craig Johannes Chris Gorte August 36 Years 27 Years 19 Years 15 Years 11 Years 11 Years Jim Scovronski Carter Augsburger Paul Frey Brian Schuldes Dave VanderLoop Kate Mann Sharon Lymon 37 Years 31 Years 23 Years 21 Years 19 Years 10 Years 6 Years Jeff Nelson Megan Ott Ben Fenhouse Heather Brickham Roberto Martinez Kathy Kirsch 16 Years 9 Years 8 Years 1 Year 1 Year 1 Year Gary Sagmeister Kurt Schoeni Kris Sagmeister Matt Kroening Tim Skelton Brett Robertson Nick Kawleski Ian Seaholm David Maas Tony Flaig Brad Fox 27 Years 23 Years 23 Years 22 Years 21 Years 14 Years 14 Years 9 Years 8 Years 5 Years 3 Years Brian Munsch Joey Johannes Troy Brandl Susan Miller October 21 Years 19 Years 18 Years 8 Years December Bonnie Hayes 16 Years William Fowler 16 Years Alexandria Johnson 11 Years Tyler Mentink 6 Years Lori Sorcic 2 Years LeAnn Williams 1 Year Julie Bohn 1 Year 39

40 Auxiliary Police Anniversaries Serving Since Years Junior Peterson Years Joe Youngbauer Years Michael Suess Years Scott Footit Years Mary Knudsen Years Kevin Schouten Years Chad Gutche Years Tim Oestreich Years Vicky Schroeder Years Jeff Winkler Years Ron O Bright Years Will Welch Years Marti Steele Years Gerald Kargus Years Matt Kirby Years Dennis Edwards Years Adam Lewis Years Shawna Russell Years Sara Stansbury Years Alex Williams Years Justin Strassburger Years Robert Yerges Years Lance Yoder Years Lane Fox Years Alec Hannum Years Eddie Wick Years Trent Gilbert-Roeder Year Brandon McMullin Year Andrew Pelot Year Jake Wallner Year Fred Jaen 2016 Maxine Yang 2016 Stephanie Stegner 2016 Robert Malliett 2016 Isaac Schultz

41 Sergeant Matt Harris: Sergeant Matt Harris received an of thanks from Police Explorer Gregg Rasske s parents: Thank You again for all that you do with the Police Explorer Program. Son Gregg will turn 21 this year and will transition from a Police Explorer to a Police Explorer Advisor with the Appleton Police Department. In May of this year, Gregg graduated with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice and also completed the Law Enforcement Academy at FVTC. He is currently a full-time Criminal Justice student and ROTC cadet at the University of Wisconsin -Oshkosh. Since 2014, Gregg continues to work (parttime) with the Green Lake County Sheriff s Department working Master Control & Corrections. Recently Gregg accepted a part-time Police Officer position with the Town of Ripon where he will work 2-3 shifts each month. Your mentoring, encouragement and support over the years has aided Gregg in becoming a capable, educated, responsible and mature young man. Gregg has learned and experienced so much since he attended his first Police Explorer meeting over 6 years ago. We cannot Thank You enough for how you have positively been involved in our son s life. Sincerely, Officer Troy Brandl: The Chief received a phone call from a citizen who called to express her appreciation to Officer Troy Brandl regarding a parking lot accident. She really appreciated his actions, felt really safe, and has total respect for the officers. She wanted to make sure Officer Brandl received Kudos for his response! Officer Matthew Pierce: The Chief received a card of thanks from a grateful citizen: One of the things I am thankful for this year is our police department, and especially Matthew Pierce. In September, I was involved in an accident at the 9th Street roundabout. Officer Pierce handled the matter in a polite, efficient manner. Please let him know I appreciated it. ~Gregory & Sue Rasske 41

42 Follow us on MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Oshkosh Police Department is to promote public safety and to enhance the quality of life in our community through innovative policing and community partnerships. VISION STATEMENT Our vision is to work as a team to accomplish excellence in our service to the community, to achieve employee fulfillment, and to set an example for others to follow. CORE VALUES ~Professionalism~Integrity~Teamwork~Pride~