Tag: law enforcement
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New police chief in Racine County was arrested for drunk driving in 2008
Waterford Police Chief Timothy O’Neill was arrested for OWI during his tenure as a cop in nearby Sturtevant. He said he took full responsibility and used the incident to gain more “compassion and insight.”
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Richland Center PD, Richland Co Sheriff change records policy after our story
Following The Badger Project’s reporting, the Richland Center Police Department and Richland County Sheriff’s Office have discontinued a minimum $25 fee for records, which experts said was illegal.
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Bill to increase penalty for impersonating cops advances in Wisconsin Legislature
A bipartisan bill seeks to change the crime of impersonating a police officer from a misdemeanor to a felony. The move comes after several instances in Wisconsin and the killing of a lawmaker in Minnesota.
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Banned statewide, bill allowing traffic cameras in Milwaukee creeps forward
A bipartisan bill in the Wisconsin State Legislature would let the city install traffic cameras to ticket speeders and red light runners. Milwaukee’s top brass has begged lawmakers for the exception.
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Waushara Co Sheriff promoted deputy after lewd photos, other bad behavior
Matthew Elliott resigned from the sheriff’s department last month, just days after The Badger Project requested a 2022 investigation into him propositioning colleagues and sending others lewd photos.
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Ex-Muskego officer accused of sex assault by fellow cop working at nearby agency
Andrew Sundstrom, a former Muskego Police K9 officer, was accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, also a cop. He was forced out of the job but not charged and claims the allegations were “manufactured.”
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GOP lawmakers want to include state police in law enforcement bill of rights
Wisconsin is one of many states to protect cops through a bill of rights, but it excludes state-employed police. Some lawmakers want to change that, while critics worry they are receiving special treatment.
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Waushara Co Board launches probe into sheriff’s K9 stipends
An investigation from The Badger Project found Sheriff Walter Zuehlke received more than $25,000 in care payments for his K9 since quitting the law enforcement trainings after he was elected in 2018.
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Waushara Co Sheriff took over $20k for K9 partner after quitting trainings
Sheriff Walter Zuehlke stopped training ‘Argo’ in 2019 after his election, but continued taking $400 monthly care checks from the county, even after the dog died, an investigation by The Badger Project found.
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NW Wisconsin cop forced out for bad behavior now working at Hayward PD
Officer Matthew Frey resigned in lieu of termination from the Cumberland Police Department after facing dozens of complaints, including cursing at civilians and watching YouTube on duty.
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Ex-Jackson Co chief deputy ousted for bad behavior working at nearby Neillsville PD
Adam Olson resigned from his position as the second-ranking officer at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office last year while under investigation for inappropriate relationships with female subordinates.
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Ex-Northern Wis jail head who sent lewd texts to female deputies working as cop
Jeffrey Johnson resigned from the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 after sending sexual images to female jail deputies. He was later hired in the next county over at the Minong Police Department.
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The Badger Project sues St. Croix County for records in ex-deputy investigation
A deputy resigned from the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office before it concluded an investigation into her conduct. The county denied a request for those records, citing concerns over department morale.
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Bipartisan bill to aid recruiting at small police depts stalls after state budget snub
With the total number of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin sitting near record lows, the bill aims to ease staffing shortages with grants to help pay for the training of new hires. But it faces an uphill climb.
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Racine County cop kept job despite DA’s deception claim; she alleges retaliation
The district attorney said Waterford Police Officer Sarah Polka was dishonest during an investigation into her son. Polka said that was untrue and payback for her advocacy of her department.
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Political challenger accuses Waupaca Co Sheriff, local GOP chapter, of blacklisting
More than a year before the GOP primary, a rural Wisconsin sheriff’s race is heating up, with the former and current district attorneys taking opposite sides.
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‘They don’t know’ – Cop ousted in Racine Co for dishonesty promoted at new dept
A sheriff’s investigation recommended that the Waterford Police Department terminate Nathaniel Schweitzer in 2024. He was recently promoted to sergeant in Big Bend in Waukesha County.
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Milwaukee-area cop quits after The Badger Project’s investigation
Amanda Lang quit the Lannon Police Department after The Badger Project’s story examined why she had been forced out of a previous job in law enforcement.