I've mentioned, several times, the fact that I had been participating in the 8th class to go through the Germantown Police Department's Citizen Police Academy (CPA).  Our group 'graduated' last night after our final session which involved Officer Jeff Schnell and Officer Bosco (who sure seems to be healthy in spite of a couple of shaved spots following his recent medical adventure...Bosco, that is; not Jeff Schnell).

The CPA operates under the guidance of Crime Prevention and DARE Officer Ray Borden with Chief Hoell's full support and with the full cooperation of the various officers, detectives and support staff who were our instructors over the past three months, and who all take compensatory time (if it is available at all) instead of overtime for these activities.  A tip of the hat to all will follow at the end of this piece.

So, just what did we all get from this CPA experience?  Well, for starters, I have a much better appreciation for the department and its officers and other personnel.  It always helps, in my experience, to have some of the mysteries dispelled, and I had many unanswered questions about law enforcement in general.

The thrust of this program is certainly to engender good public relations for the department.  But, it is also meant to help citizens feel capable of taking some control on their own.  For example, the Citizen Patrol squad will be seen throughout Germantown usually driven and occupied by graduates of this program.  Citizens have no arrest authority but do have the ability to monitor neighborhoods clocking traffic speeds, noting 'violations' so that the department can intervene with a friendly letter indicating that they were observed and that this could've resulted in a ticket being issued.  Class graduates are regular volunteers for village needs that require something less than a sworn officer but that do require the person to have knowledge of procedure, etc.

Graduates have the opportunity to ride along with officers to observe and experience.  Graduates can become involved in various special projects, and have created some of those projects on their own.  Graduates were very much involved in the quest for a motorcycle patrol and for the K-9 program, both of which are supported almost entirely from public contributions.

We all learned about the current world of drugs in our community so that we might be better able to identify with the problem and help in our own families.  We learned about investigations, finger printing, exercise and diets, dispatch, traffic enforcement, the emergency response team, accident scene investigation/reconstruction and juvenile services.  We learned, for example, that Bosco was involved in the recent bank robbery and found evidence that likely had been hidden in a charcoal grill by one of the suspects.  And, I think we formed a level of camaraderie within our group.  I met residents that I'd have never had the opportunity to get to know.

This was and is a great experience and I'd encourage any of you that have interest to let CPO Ray Borden know.  If you'd like, I'll be happy to pass your indication of interest on to him (since he may not want his direct line broadcast all over Germantown).  You can click on the 'e-mail' link above and send your e-mail to me in confidence.

Finally, the tip of the hat to all those with whom we interacted, some several times (and my apologies if I miss anyone):

Chief Hoell, CPO Borden, Ofc.Case, Cpl.Delmore, Det.Yogerst and Det.Schmitt, Communications Supervisor Schmidt, Lt. Schreihart, Cpl.Rechlicz, SRO Miller, Det.Eggers, Ofc. Schnell and Ofc. Bosco. 

Several things keep coming to mind this morning and I can't choose between them so...

Frivolous Court Actions...

I was thinking more about the John Doe investigation triggered by the prisoner that was aimed at the Germantown Police Department.  There were real affects beyond the story itself.  The department lost time dealing with this farce.  The officers...all the officers, and not just those directly involved...will think about this in the future even though they were exonerated by the judge's decision to drop the investigation.  Second guessing in their line of duty can and does cause injury and sometimes worse.

How might this be dealt with in the development of a new law?  How about prisoners that bring frivolous actions of this nature being subjected to some punishment?  How about those who are able to look forward to parole being kept from that for a time as a lesson?  How about those who'll be inside forever...if there are any of those in this day and age...being subjected to tougher time with the loss of all privileges, time in solitary, etc.?

Some Parents...

I guess I'll have to end my habit of listening to Jay Weber each weekday morning.  He found a story from New Jersey about a family, named "Campbell" of all things, who had given one child the middle names of Adolph Hitler and another the middle names of Aryan Nation.  They attempted to buy a birthday cake from a grocery store and were suing because the store refused to include the Adolph Hitler portion of the child's name in the cake's decoration.

First, they are not related to me, even distantly...I hope!  Second, this reminded me of what some parents inflict upon their youngsters in the interest of making some kind of social statement.  Never mind that these people are fairly obviously 'white supremacists'; even they should know better.

That reminded me of a Doctor with the last name of "Berry" whose nickname is, of course, "Raz".  He is actually in private practice in Tennessee or Kentucky as I recall.  That was most likely bestowed by his classmates at a tender age.  Mine called me "Alley Cat" since my first name was "Alan".  They're all so old now that they've forgotten what they used to call me.  There are advantages to aging.

Global Warming = Repetitive Snow Storms...

Sorry; I can't help but sprinkle more salt on the wounds of global warming enthusiasts.

We find ourselves in the pattern of a snow storm every two or three days with intermittent cold weather.  This seems quite the aberration for a planet that is warming at a dangerous pace.

Seems that this was our pattern last year as well.  I'd certainly invite Al Gore to come up and share a shovel with any of us...but he'd probably have the private Gulfstream IV cranked up and would spew the heavens with who knows what.  I guess we do better leaving him where he is and doing our own shoveling. 

More Newspaper "News"...

Finally, another newspaper or two in Detroit will cease printing seven issues per week for home delivery and drop down to printing home delivery newspapers on Thursday, Friday and Sunday since advertising is still fairly strong on those days.  We are witnessing the change of an industry that might ultimately have nearly as much impact as the Gutenberg press.

I shared that I have now become a Sunday-only subscriber.  I confess that I still miss the tactile sensation of a paper in my hands, but I don't miss any news thanks to the Internet, and I don't miss the ink that I have always had on my finger tips after fondling my newspaper.  And, I seem to have a few more minutes available in my morning schedule since I whip through the articles at a much faster pace on the Internet.

John Doe Investigation Follow-Up...

My Blog of December 10th dealt with the  John Doe investigation ordered by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez at the request of a prisoner by the name of James M. Hermann.  Mr. Hermann had been arrested in a disorderly conduct-domestic violence situation and claimed his rights were violated by Germantown Police officers.

That John Doe hearing occurred today and was dropped after Hermann refused to answer the questions posed to him by Judge Ramirez.  Ramirez said he believed that Hermann had requested the John Doe simply to harass the police officers involved.

Hermann claimed he feared that he might incriminate himself if he answered the judge's questions.  The questions concerned whether or not he was on illegal drugs when arrested, and whether the drugs found in the black box in his safe were his.  The judge advised Hermann that he had no credibility since he'd been arrested nine times prior with eight of those arrests involving crimes of dishonesty and thievery.  He was ordered to pay restitution to one of the officers who had incurred $2,000 in attorney's costs as the result of this investigation.  I suspect pigs may be flying about as soon as the restitution is paid.

My point in the first piece was that these things have become habitual and are used by prisoners too often in frivolous ways.  It appears that once again this was the case.  The fear of self-incrimination appears to have been warranted based on the questions he refused to answer.  It seems that most thinking people would understand the non-answer was likely a very positive statement.

I would think that our legislators, who seem to jump at the chance to pass new laws, could craft some kind of law that would help to reduce or eliminate the frivolous actions while still protecting the rights of the truly aggrieved.

Armed Bank Robbery...

I would also expect that crooks are re-thinking any plans to hit banks in Germantown.  That doesn't seem to produce very good results as was proved once again.

Kudos to the Germantown Police for another apparent success!  One person remains to be captured but that'll probably occur reasonably soon since the other one is in custody and will likely get lonely.

Our Citizen Police Academy group went through the next to last week of education last evening and the subject was traffic stops.  Officer Ray Borden had enlisted the aid of two graduates of earlier classes and they posed as drivers and/or passengers in vehicles that we were to stop in mock situations.

I had been on an earlier 'ride along' so I expected to have an edge last evening.  That was a mistake, as I learned pretty quickly.  Even the simplest of traffic stops is a situation in which every police officer must stay fully alert and aware in order to assure his or her own safety and that of the vehicle occupants.  In reality, there is no "simple" traffic stop.

Each of the class members was put behind the wheel of a squad and made stops as the class progressed.  The first involved a speeder.  We had to make the stop, position the squad properly, approach the stopped vehicle properly, present ourselves professionally, observe constantly, etc., etc.  Every encounter in an officer's day or night can prove to be problematic.  Things are not always as they appear.

There is an almost overwhelming amount of detail that must be top of mind in every one of these situations.  The officer is constantly observing our movements, the position of our hands, our appearance, the general state of the vehicle, the contents of the vehicle and all the outside distractions such as traffic, pedestrians and so on.  Every officer has many stories about "simple" stops that evolved into things beyond belief for the average citizen.

As I've gone through this training, I have been amazed at what is required of the officers.  Most of us go through our day oblivious of the little things that surround us.  The officer must be aware of those 'little things' because they could suddenly become 'big things'.  We read of the capture of suspects and tend to think of those situations as the stressful encounters.  Yet, every stop has the potential for turning into one of the cases we read about in the weekly report by our police departments.  A simple defective headlight or brake light can turn into the arrest of a drunken driver, or the arrest of an individual who is in possession of drugs or the arrest of a person with an outstanding warrant.  The key is that the officer doesn't know which stops will be those, so they have to be prepared in every stop.

Among the things I've taken away from this so far is how the officers can be regular human beings after being exposed to the seamier sides of any community.  Divorce rates are higher in the uniformed ranks and the under cover ranks than is normal across the population.  The stress can take its toll in many ways.  I have now met and interacted with quite a few of our Germantown officers and can say that I have yet to find a bad apple.  He or she may be there, but I've not found him or her yet.  That is, I think, a tribute to our officers, the support staff and their leadership.  I'm sure there are the petty things that crop up in any organization from time to time, but these guys and gals know what they're expected to do and they do it very professionally.  If there are those petty things, I've not seen them manifested and suspect that I won't ever see them in any duty situation.

We have a department populated with professional police officers and support staff.  We can be proud and we can feel confident they'll be there if and when we need them.

A story in the morning Journal Sentinel by Mike Johnson discusses a John Doe investigation ordered by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez at the request of a Mr. James M. Hermann who was a Germantown resident at the time of his arrest.

The John Doe is supposedly set so that the judge can compel testimony to determine if Mr. Hermann's rights were violated when he was taken to Community Memorial Hospital where officers ordered that blood be drawn for testing.  The officers supposedly were concerned that he might have been using a controlled substance and sought the blood draw to make that determination.

All this happened on March 21, 2007 when police were called to his residence for a disorderly conduct-domestic violence complaint.  In the course of that call, he claims to have been injured by a Washington County Deputy Sheriff, and he claims that his rights were violated because officers found cocaine in a black box inside a safe that he had given verbal permission to be searched.  Supposedly he had told authorities that they could not look at the contents of the black box, but the officers did since they were concerned that it might contain a weapon.

It should be noted that he was subsequently charged with possession of cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct and endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon.  He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon and was sentenced to 18 months in prison where he resides today.

It is certainly possible that he could've been injured during the arrest.  If he was under the influence of a controlled substance, he might very well have been combative.  That substance could've also been detected by officers observations of its effects on his body, in addition to finding it in his safe, thus providing probable cause for demanding the blood sample.

This has the earmarks of the classic charge being filed by a convict sitting in his cell with too much time on his hands and too much access to law books in the prison library and to the proverbial 'jailhouse lawyers'.  I sometimes wonder if judges are too easily convinced to hold hearings such as the one scheduled for next Tuesday on this case.  There will be testimony that often involves overtime costs and takes officers out of the community when they might be needed.

Chief Pete Hoell was quoted in the article as saying, "He's in prison because we're doing our jobs."

Officer Bosco Update...

I received an e-mail today from Chief Pete Hoell who had this to say:

"I am pleased to inform you that Bosco is back on the job and we have raised $2,420.00 so far.  Thank you everyone for your very generous donations and kind thoughts and words."

With the goal of $4,000 in mind, the Germantown Police Department K-9 Fund is still in need of $1,580.00.

Remember that you can make a contribution by mailing a check made out to the Germantown Police Department K-9 Fund to the department at P.O. Box 96 , Germantown, WI 53022 or by stopping at the Police Department building at N112 W16877 Mequon Road to drop off any contributions. 

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Germantown Sidewalk Clearing...

Is it just me or did it seem to you, as well, that the sidewalks normally cleared by the village very promptly after a snowfall were left untended for a while this time?  I noted this morning that they had been cleared.  Maybe it was simply that the week-end fell at an awkward time.  The weather doesn't always cooperate.

Speaking of which...please take care to be sure that you aren't one of the reasons for an ambulance run during and after this next storm being forecast for us.  We've had the opportunity to re-learn our winter driving skills, and to remind ourselves of just how heavy snow can be.

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"Normal" Winter Pattern?

We seem to have a good start at what came to be last year's normal winter pattern...several inches of snow, colder weather for a few days...and then more snow.  We have friends who are avid snowmobile riders (or should I call them "snow machines" now?) and I know they're probably excited.  But, let's not get carried away!

The current "big storm" appears to be a "for sure" happening as I listen to the weather reports, with the only real question being that of who will receive what in terms of snowfall.

I really hope we're not on our way to breaking last year's record snowfall so soon.  Once those records are set, we normally would have some time to brag about how we handled "that record-breaking" year.  People aren't going to believe our stories if we repeat the same ones year after year.

Two different classroom experiences in the past two days have convinced me that I am too naive for my own good.

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I've shared that I am involved in this year's class of the Germantown Citizen Police Academy.  Our session on Wednesday evening concerned drugs, and I came away from that class shocked at what I had seen.  I do not want to be alarmist, but we have a problem here in the Germantown area as do virtually all communities across Wisconsin.  The class presented was a very shortened version of one that is delivered by Cpl. Dan Delmore to officers in our department as well as in departments requesting his services.

We saw graphic evidence of what people use, how they use it, and what the consequences of that use are for those people.  There are, obviously, consequences for citizens, in general, since these habits have to be supported...and that results in crimes.  I was very surprised at the things that are common in grocery stores and gas stations and other retail outlets that can and are being used in an abusive manner by students as well as adults.  As I said, I was too naive for my own good.

I have raised my children long ago, and I am happy that this was the case.  It was much less threatening then than it is today.  If I were raising children today, I would, knowing what I now know, be very active in my supervision of their activities while trying to not be too controlling, of course.  That is a difficult line to walk, and I'm sure it is fraught with hurt feelings and anger as our children make their ways into adulthood.  But, it is something that needs be monitored.  It is something that needs be discussed with the children so that there is an awareness.

The D.A.R.E program that Officer Ray Borden is involved with is a big step in the right direction.  The School Officer program is a big step in the right direction.  But those, in and of themselves, are insufficient.  Us parents have to be involved, and that has to be happening on a 24/7/365 basis.

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The second class experience was yesterday during a continuing education course that is required for me for a state license I hold.  We listened to an Investigator and an Assistant District Attorney from the Waukesha DA's office discuss the issue of identity theft.  They shed light on a murky area that I knew existed but about which I was ill-informed.

According to their information, over 700,000 people are affected by identity theft every year in the United States.  The five common types of identity theft include:

• Driver's License
• Social Security Number
• Medical Information
• Character and/or Criminal
• Financial

Identity theft is a felony in Wisconsin and is vigorously prosecuted whenever possible.  We heard of people who have had second mortgages made on their own dwelling and who were unaware of that until they were hit with legal action because the bad guy was no longer paying the monthly amounts due.  This case involved something beyond $20,000.

Others have been the subject of arrest warrants for things done by people using their identities.  Others have seen their credit ratings destroyed by multiple credit card accounts that were opened and then never paid after large amounts were run up by the bad guys.

One of the things that hit me was the fact that there are people who do nothing but cruise neighborhoods every day filching mail from mailboxes looking for paper checks being mailed to the resident, or gathering all the 'pre-approved' credit card applications, or watching for the red flag to be raised indicating that there might be a bill payment sitting there with all the bank and checking account information.

Phishing scams are designed to gather private information to be used illegally.  Those are most often tied to the Internet, but some can be done by telephone, too.  Credit card numbers are available to employees in retail establishments or may be part of the junk tossed into a dumpster.  Dumpster diving is often employed by identity thieves.

Some of their suggestions were:

• never give your credit card to the waiter or waitress and instead take the bill to the cashier.
• never use the mailbox outside your house to mail outbound items.
• maintain a credit card with a minimal credit limit for use in Internet transactions.
• check your credit card balances and transactions several times monthly over the Internet to catch irregular items as quickly as possible.
• always cover or conceal items being left in your vehicle and lock the vehicle.

The one thing that hit me between the eyes was the fact that they see more identity theft being perpetrated by a relative of the victim than any other single cause.  I wondered if some of those thefts were as the result of the relative having a drug habit needing to be supported?

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As you can see, I was plainly too naive for my own good.  I hope you aren't.

They never know just what to expect when a call comes in; in the case of the Mequon police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call yesterday, the uncertainty became a known very quickly.

The call took the officer to an address in the vicinity of 76th (Wauwatosa Road) and Mequon Road...not far from our placid village.

Shots were fired; squad car windows were shattered; the officer eventually was confronted with a 24 year-old male who had a gun and aimed it at the officer.

The officer fired a single shot, according to news reports, and the 24 year-old man fell to the ground.  He was transported and pronounced dead.

Domestic calls are not a favorite of most officers because they understand that tempers will likely be at a peak and they understand that history indicates these calls are among the most dangerous.  Most of the domestic calls do not have this result...thankfully...but the officer never knows.

It is difficult for most to imagine how this must affect the officers who are sworn to uphold the peace, this 'never knowing' what the next call may bring.  They train and train some more simply to maintain that edge that may save a life, whether that be their life or the life of another.

We usually see officers riding around in their squads; sometimes we see them with a vehicle stopped alongside the roadway.  Sometimes we think about this interaction but most often it is gone from our mind before we've traveled fifty feet down the road.

These men and women are very special people.  They have been trained to be able to handle most any situation, and they're equipped to handle most any situation.  They have the benefit of being able to call for back-up and, in certain situations, will be told to hold the position while the Emergency Response Team is brought to bear.

But, they just never know.

This morning there is a Mequon police officer replaying yesterday in his or her mind's eye trying to be certain that there was no other option than the taking of a life.  Our officers today are professionals in every sense of the word.  If they are not, chances are very good that they won't have even had the opportunity to join the department.  And, if they became members of a department, they are identified early on as being less than fit for this kind of position. 

This morning there are police officers all over the area feeling for that fellow 'cop' and being thankful that it wasn't them that walked into that situation...but recognizing that today could be the day.

Sendik's Food Market 60 Days Later...

I have yet to encounter a Sendik's associate who wasn't happy to be there and who wasn't happy to help me.

I have noted that the facility remains bright and cheery with a very clean floor, which I thought might be problematic given carpeting.  Winter will be a bigger challenge.  Shelves are always fully stocked; delicious samples are scattered throughout the store.

I don't know about you, but I am happy Sendik's selected Germantown as the site for one of their beautiful grocery facilities.

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Veterans Day 2008...

Remember that the 2008 Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial at the corner of Freistadt Road and Park Avenue on Sunday, November 9th at 10:30AM.  If you've not seen the memorial, it is worth your time.

A little history...

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day when proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson for November 11, 1919 to celebrate all veterans of World War I.  It finally became known as Veterans Day on November 8, 1954 when Congress amended the act to change the name and to have the day honor all veterans who have served their country.  The President was Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The American Legion will also conduct a flag disposal ceremony following the program so that you can properly dispose of any torn, tattered and/or faded American Flag you may have.

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County Supervisors Cut Property Tax Levy...

The supervisors agreed to take half of the county's sales tax revenue into the operating budget for 2009.

Unfortunately, this budget cuts the $35,000 for the County Convention and Visitors Bureau and cuts $15,000 from the Fair Park.  The Village of Germantown is working to assist the Convention and Visitors Bureau since it receives significant promotion from that organization and felt that the funding cut by the county would have consequences for the community and its merchants.

The county set a 2009 tax rate of $2.71 per $1,000 which is down about $0.10 per $1,000 from this year.

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SRO Officer In Schools...

I had the pleasure of meeting SRO Tim Miller during the Citizen Police Academy session this past Wednesday evening.  He gave us an overview of his duties in the schools and discussed the changes that have been brought about since this program was initiated.  "SRO" means School Resource Officer.  The SRO is a sworn officer and funding for this position is paid jointly by the school district and the police department on a 75%-25% ratio, respectively.

Our high school is a much quieter place of learning than before the initiation of this program several years ago.  Student fights seldom occur now; the SRO has formed relationships that help both students and administration.  And, students develop, I suspect, a much different view of police officers having had this experience.  The SRO is available for class instruction whenever the subject matter entails.  SRO Miller, in this case, can 'tell it like it is' during driver education and health classes, for example.

This strikes me as a very good use of taxpayer dollars that provides both a current payback as well as future benefits.

Wow, voting day is finally here and my telephone will quit ringing so much, my mailbox will be less cluttered and I can either celebrate or cry in my proverbial beer.  This election 'season' has seemed to go on forever.  Several things are at top of mind this morning...

Milwaukee Police Unit Disbanded...

The special investigative unit of the Milwaukee Police Department that generated the 67 page election fraud report has apparently been disbanded some five days prior to today's election.  The detective who led that operation has, according to the Wall Street Journal, been relegated to the sidelines today.  John Fund of the Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Detective Michael Sandvick had predicted that Wisconsin could see as many as 55,000 illegal votes cast.  He cited the cross-border flow from Minnesota and Illinois since Wisconsin is one of only eight states that have 'same day' registration coupled with the weak verification of eligibility.  His estimate was that as many as 30,000 votes could be cast today in that manner. 

There are only two people of whom I'm aware who could've caused this 'stand down' and those are Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and/or Police Chief Flynn.  Neither has been available for interviews today to my knowledge.

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My Voting Site...

I drove past the site where I vote at about 7:20AM today and was astounded at the number of vehicles parked and at the length of the line of people waiting to move into the building to vote.  I plan to vote in the 9:00AM range and we'll see if this surge was simply caused by people on their way to work as I suspect.

At any rate, it certainly seems that our voter turn-out will be in the range predicted by the Village Clerk's staff which I recall was in the 73 percent range.

On top of this was an inordinately high number of absentee ballots being cast based on my casual observations of parking lot loads during the preceding couple of weeks and of anecdotal comments from people working in village hall.

UPDATE:  I voted at about 9:20AM and was number 580.  The people were still streaming in and there was about a ten minute wait at that time.

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Media Hype...

I am angered with what now seems to pass for the mainstream media so far as their seeming promotion of Obama's 'inevitable' victory.

We have been fed the 'facts' for many days that there is no way for McCain to win.  There are, unfortunately, too many voters who are swayed by this 'stuff' and who don't think for themselves.  If just 1% of potential voters were dissuaded from 'wasting' their time voting, the swing could become a 'self-fulfilling' prophecy.

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Direct Legislation...

Finally, we are witnessing direct legislation in Milwaukee concerning mandatory sick days from employers.  This would create a burden for many businesses that would force them to close or move thus negatively impacting the residents.  But, there are too many who can't or won't think these issues through and simply vote because they like the idea that they can have sick days. 

We are witnessing some 25 to 30 communities across the state that have ballot questions concerning 'mandatory health care plans similar to those afforded state employees'.  These types of issues are done at the state level but grass roots groups have begun to work at the local levels to bring some pressure to bear on state legislators.  The simple fact is that there isn't enough money in the state to provide that level of health care coverage for all the residents.  We would bankrupt ourselves.

Having family members in Colorado, I am reminded of the folly that those voters are subjected to in the form of ballot initiatives.  There are something on the order of fifty individual questions on ballots in Colorado today that require some real effort to understand.  The majority of voters do not take the time to do their own research and, instead, follow the direction of their associations or unions or professional affiliations.

This is a very dangerous thing, in my opinion, that lends some credence to the old saw about us voters getting the government we deserve.

Lilac Lane Closed Again...

I had mentioned that the new bridge was open and looked great last week.  Soon after, Trustee Wolter e-mailed to advise that this was only temporary since there was some road re-construction happening very soon on Maple Road west of the bridge over Hwy 41. on Lilac Lane from the new bridge to Maple Road.

That time has arrived.  The "Road Closed" signs are out.

It was nice while it lasted, but this will be over before too long.

Germantown Fire Safety Fair...

The annual Fire Safety Fair was held at Station #2 in Germantown last Saturday.  Several very interesting demonstrations were conducted. 

A convincing demonstration of fire in a room without sprinklers versus in a room with sprinklers made me a believer that  water damage is far preferable to the total damage and potential injury or loss of life where sprinklers aren't present!  The in-home equipment is quite pleasing to the eye, as well. 

I had my first opportunity to see Officer Bosco work his magic seeking out marijuana that had been secreted in an old vehicle's door panel.  He is a marvel to watch as he works.  This four-legged officer really rounds out the department's offering at no added cost to the taxpayers of the community.  Bosco is fully supported by contributions/grants as discussed a few days ago.

There was equipment present from the Mequon and Thiensville departments in addition to the rolling stock from Germantown.  Interestingly enough, a "live" call was received late in the morning that took a couple of units with it.

People were enjoying lunchtime treats that included a delicious smelling recipe of 'Firehouse Chili'.  It may've only been me, but it didn't seem there was enough advertising about this event.  It didn't find its way onto the Village Hall signage along Mequon Road and I didn't recall seeing any print mention.

Attendance seemed quite good; lots of youngsters that seemed to be enjoying themselves while learning valuable lessons.

Do We Need Nude Dancing In Germantown?

I had lost track of this issue after Boro Buzzdum's 'Diamonds Pub & Grille' on Maple Road near Hwy 41 was closed and recast as 'The Starting Gate Sports Bar & Grill'.

The first suit claiming the then existing ordinance was unconstitutional was filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee dating back to February, 2006 was scheduled for mediation when Boro Buzzdum brought a second action claiming the Germantown amended ordinance is also unconstitutional.  I certainly hope that Germantown prevails.

Our community does not need a nude dancing venue.

This Blog promises to be too long...and I apologize up front.  BUT, this topic is critical, in my estimation, to the safety of our citizens and our property.  While we're getting everything on the table, you should know by now that "I am in the tank" for our Police Department; I make no bones about it and I am unapologetic for that!

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I have had several exchanges with Chief Pete Hoell about the budget of his department and about the requests that have been made of him to further reduce his budget by something north of $300,000 for 2009.  I have to tell you that he is anguished over this; he wants to remain a loyal servant of the community, he doesn't want to appear to be carping over the political situation, and he had some qualms about some of the information I'll make known in this Blog.  In the final analysis, he came down on the side of letting the citizens of the community know what is going to happen if his budget is cut any further than has been the case over the past several years. 

The budget numbers to date (as of yesterday) for the department were expected to approximate $4,501,000 for 2009 versus the $4,497,000 approved for 2008.  That is virtually a 0% increase even though fuel prices have soared and even though personnel costs are what they are.  The majority of the department budget is committed to wages and benefits since it is made up of people.

The actual discretionary operating budget, when the numbers represented above are stripped away is something on the order of $520,000.  From that, we remove the base costs such as insurance, heat, water and sewer and have some $300,000 remaining for discretionary costs.  As the chief pointed out, he has been reducing annual budget requests on a regular basis and is simply at the point where there is not much else, if anything, that can be cut.

The department is already relying on donations from the community as well as grants that are available to cover its needs.  The DARE program is funded by the school district.  Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) graduates are donating volunteer hours and are engaged in fund raising activities on behalf of the department.  The CPA program actually pays back more than its cost to the department over and above the PR value gained.  Officer Bosco's costs are funded by grants and donations.  Contributions a couple of years ago raised by CPA graduates were used to replace many of the side arms carried by officers, for example.  The motorcycle patrol is funded by contributions.  Officers are already working extra hours without overtime pay; they get compensatory time off if and when that doesn't stretch the force too much.  The department's gas costs went out of sight just as yours and mine did.

If you've toured the department's facilities, you will recall seeing a lot of "hand-me-down" equipment and furnishings.  I don't think I've seen a desk that is any newer than circa 1960.  Most of what I see has been donated by someone or other in the community.  "New" equipment, if there is to be any, is often found on the 'for sale' sites of other police departments as they replace old items with new items.  An old aquarium found its way to the evidence room for use as a finger print development tool.  The buildings are on a "bare bones" basis; this is not a department that has an excess of funding nor is it a department that wastes taxpayer dollars.  It scratches to make ends meet and continue to do its job.

Against that backdrop, permit me to get right to the point.  I don't see any other areas where costs can be reduced but the area of personnel.  That is going to impact you and me adversely. Period!  The hoped for 0% increase budget of about $4.5M would become $4.2M if the $300K is stripped out.

One of the areas that Chief Hoell had some misgivings about disclosing is the number of officers on patrol during each shift.  He discussed this with members of his command group and finally decided that, in the interest of full disclosure to the citizens, I could include this information:

We have a total of THREE officers on patrol each shift to cover the thirty-six square miles that comprise Germantown.

It is entirely possible that overlapping calls could mean that there is no one available to respond.  One heavy-duty call could easily make that happen.  The recent burglary of a Germantown construction site consumed all the patrol officers that were available.  Situations requiring all three officers and the shift commander are not that unusual.  During my ride-along, a pretty simple auto accident saw two officers and the shift commander on scene and also saw the vast majority of our fire department's on duty staff engaged along with vehicles of both departments.  This was essentially a fender-bender.  No one needed to be cut out of a vehicle; traffic control pretty much took care of itself since we were at a light-controlled intersection, etc. 

The $300,000 cut being requested of this department could, and probably would, since there isn't anything further left to chop, cause staff cutbacks that would result in two officers available for patrol duties on each shift.  That is an insufficient number considering the back-up required in many situations that are encountered.  Bar fights are difficult if not impossible to control with two officers.  Certain domestic abuse situations can easily require all three officers.  Bank robberies obviously could pull all three into that scene.  Our officers will be put in harm's way just as you and me will be adversely affected. 

I used the phrase "cutting muscle instead of fat", or something to that effect, in an earlier Blog.  I hope you now have a much better idea of what that meant.

What, you might ask, do I think we need at this point?

We need political leadership to go along with the excellent department leadership now in place.  We need people to stand up and let their political leaders know that they do not want a weak Germantown Police Department even if taxes have to go up a bit to support it at the 0% growth number.  We need to understand as a community that there comes a time when we have to pay for critical services. 

Germantown Police Department Building Follow-Up...

Several readers requested a timeline concerning the Germantown Police Department building process.  Chief Hoell had done just such a timeline for the Trustees and was kind enough to provide that for this piece:

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1982:  Both the original Police Building (N112 W16877 Mequon Rd.) and Library - now PD Annex - were built.   The shell of the range was completed but funds have never been approved to date for completing the indoor range.

1994:  The Public Safety Committee discussed an expansion project for the Police Dept.  No action was taken. 

1995:  The Village retained the services of HNTB to conduct a Needs Assessment Study of all municipal facilities.  The study recommended building a new library and that upon completion the police department should expand its building by connecting both existing structures.  HNTB estimated the cost of the police department expansion at $750,000.

According to the Public Safety Committee notes, the police department building expansion, indoor range and communications center projects would be moved from 1995 to 1996. 

1998:  Garage addition proposal submitted.

1999:  A request was made to budget $725,000 for the building expansion to be completed in 2003.  The amount was reduced first to $450,000 and then $350,000 at the final budget meeting. 

2000:  Garage construction started with a $270,000 budget. 

2001:  Garage addition completed.   January 16, 2001 the Public Safety Committee tours new garage.

Fischer, Fischer Theis, Inc. hired for $4,400 to design the police expansion.

2002:  Fischer, Fischer Theis, Inc. worked with the $350,000 budget constraints, submitted and received final approval from the planning commission for the architectural design plans.  The Village Board split the amount of which $167,500 was allocated for 2003 to remodel the interior of the old library, and $167,500 was set aside to connect the two buildings in 2006.  The Village Board then decided at the final budget hearing to withdraw all funding since the limited money budgeted created a design that fell short of their expectations for the long-term use of the police department facilities. 

2003: The Village Board approved $750,000 in the Capital Budget to connect the police department in 2004.

2004:  Police staff, primarily support services, moves into the old library (PD Annex). 

2004 – 2005:  Public Safety gave direction to hire Plunkett Raysich for $9,200 to design a connection and remodel both buildings based on space needs to accommodate the PD until 2025.  The total project, to include connection of both buildings and a total remodel, came in at $3,200,000 for a 2006 construction date.

2005-2006:  Homeland Security grant received to install building security upgrades.  Items chosen from a security study of the buildings and the ability to reuse the items with the building project.  Items added:  fob key system, lobby security drawer, fencing, cameras/monitor, and windows. 

2006:  Village Board tabled the PD building project till 2007.

2007-2008:  Third conceptual design for PD connection and remodel of both buildings.  Zimmerman Architectural Studios was hired for approximately $12,000.   This project is ongoing.  Cost estimate for a remodel of both buildings and connection was at approximately $6,000,000.  Village Board sent the plan back to be reviewed with the possibility of doing this project in phases. 

Notes on a couple important issues, but not inclusive:  90% to 95% of all the police department furniture is original (26 years old) and/or secondhand donated items.  Most of the furniture was not designed for computer usage.  

The completion of the indoor range has been discussed for 26 years but never completed.

The radio is too small to accommodate the county radio project coming in the fall of 2009.  The current radio console is outdated and not equipped to handle the computers. 

The radio and communications equipment should be removed from the basement.

Air quality due to electronics needs to be improved. 

Men and Women’s lockers are over capacity.

The flooring is old, worn out and in poor shape.  Also in need of repair are some of the ceilings and walls. 

There is no central location to handle and store evidence.  The evidence processing and storage is handled between two floors and the storage should be removed from the basement. 

No room to function as an Emergency Operations Center.

Because staff has outgrown the buildings, interview rooms were taken over for office space.   The police department is in need of both hard and soft interview rooms equipped with both audio and visual recording devices to be able to record interviews per State Statute.  The rooms should also be equipped with emergency notification/alert call buttons.  

A secure training and conference room that can be utilized by outside organizations and other law enforcement personnel is needed.

The PD Annex is an old library; it’s still an old library which is occupied by PD personnel.  This building is in need of security updates.

Records are stored throughout the PD and Annex; there is no central records location.

There is a strong need to create a safe work environment for the PD employees and the public while in and around the PD building and Annex.  PD staff should be able to move around without the constant exposure to the outside by having to walk through the courtyard.  The entrance to the main PD building is hidden from the parking lot.   We need the front door to be seen by those in distress because they may not have the time or ability to read a directional sign or follow arrows.  

The overall buildings are aged and worn.  They were built with the security needs of the early 1980’s in mind.   The safety of the staff and public while at the police department are paramount, and creating a professional, efficient work environment is an important aspect of this project as well.  

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This provides the rest of the story over and above the request that the department find $330,000 of "unnecessary" expense to be cut so the village can balance its 2009 budget without a tax increase.

I believe that the board has been neglecting the department and that we will ultimately pay the price.  As is evident, the simple impact of inflation has caused the building connector proposals to escalate significantly over time. 

My apologies for such a lengthy Blog but all this information seemed quite germane to the story needing to be told.  

There will be two versions of the Village Buzz posted today given two relatively lengthy subjects each of which deserve a more detailed review.

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Germantown Police Department Budget...

I learned that our Police Department was being tasked by some members of the Village Board to reduce its 2009 budget request by some $330,000 as its share of the $900,000+ deficit solution.  I have followed the department closely enough to recognize that this request would very likely cut away muscle and not fat, and I asked Chief Hoell for information about what this level of reduction would bring in the way of policing in 2009 without sharing my position with him at that point.

Chief Hoell indicated that his proposed budget was already done on the basis that this was an austere year for the village and that he would have to make do without a lot of the things he'd like to see for the department and the citizens of Germantown.  He advised that he had been able to trim some operating costs but that other line items, such as fuel costs, were beyond his ability to control.  He said that, although there have been cost increases in other line items, the department had made do without similar budget increases.  If there were equipment breakdowns or if some large unforeseen event such as a major crime scene were to be confronted, there would be no surplus available with which to handle the occurrence.

He stated, simply, that "a $330,000 cut would cripple this department".  "We would become solely reactive at best and the safety of our officers would be at jeopardy."   He indicated that, if he took out insurance, bonds, heat and water expense line items, the $330,000 would be "pretty much our operating budget for 2009".

"If you take this money out of personnel, then as I stated above, we would become solely reactionary at best and no longer proactive.  We are already experiencing delays in our responses due to the volume of calls for service or simply cannot respond to a time sensitive incident.  The safety and security of our officers will be at stake and the safety of our community will slowly deteriorate."

He went on to discuss staffing studies:  "The Germantown Police Department is the least staffed municipal agency in Washington County per capita.  The same holds true for the metro area.  We continually update this study and attach it to our budget to keep our elected officials educated on where we stand for staffing.  The Depart. of Justice recommends approx. 2.2 officers per 1,000 people.  GPD has 1.58 officers per 1,000 people.  Granted the 2.2 is a bit high, however the national average is 2.0, the state average is 1.8".   (This is for communities having from 10,000 to 40,000 people). 

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Now, I'll take the opportunity to "editorialize":

The thought that we would cut our police protection budget by such an amount simply to be "fair" to the rest of the departments in this village is something I simply am unable to grasp.  This would likely result in a reduction of one-third in the on-the-road shift staffing; and that staffing is already quite sparse for the community from my perspective.  "Across the board cuts" are too often simply the easy way out for people charged with developing budgets.  Each department head has, I hope, put forth their best effort.  I rely upon the Village Administrator to assure that there is no "fluff" left in any department's numbers.  I rely upon our elected representatives to handle the balance of any mandated budget reductions with the best interests of all citizens uppermost in mind.

I believe this proposed cut would be to carry the funding of the police department to a level that would cause our services to deteriorate too far.  If we lose the edge we have today in that area, we will pay a very severe price.  The "bad guys" don't respect budget issues.  They respect force.  I hope and trust that wiser minds will prevail when the Finance Committee and Village Board again convene.  It is time for some serious leadership on a serious issue.  There are "issues" and then there are "life and death" issues.

I can only imagine the reaction if a member of the Board were to be poorly served by the department in a time of need due to this budget process.  I'll wager that the recrimination wouldn't be pretty, and I'll bet some heads would roll.  But those likely wouldn't be "elected heads" rolling.

Bridges To Somewhere...

I asked Dave Schornack, Village Administrator, where we stood on the bridge completion dates for both the Lilac Lane bridge and the Freistadt Road bridge near Hwy 145/Fond du Lac Avenue.

I had noticed some concrete being poured in the Lilac Lane site and it seemed as though that project had been ongoing for some time since I use that route often.  I hadn't the same feelings about Freistadt since I don't frequent that route as often.

Nothing like being selfish, is there?

Dave wrote back promptly to advise that both projects "are on track to be completed by the first week of October".

So, in about a month, we'll all be ooh-ing and ahh-ing over our new bridges.

Police Station Building Delays...

I understand that there is only so much money to go around within the Village of Germantown.  I understand that I'm a bit of a 'scold' so far as spending goes, too.

But, I have had the opportunity to tour the Police Department facilities and know that there is a very real need.

I also know that the chief, the officers and the staff will make do with whatever they have, but it is going to be very much like a group of sardines minus the oil going forward.  New radio/computer equipment is being forced on the department and there is virtually no room to accommodate that equipment and the people who operate it.  I'm sure the Public Safety Committee is cognizant of this, as well, but my fear is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease...and the chief and his department aren't known for being whiners.

They'll get the job done no matter what, but it sure would be nice if they had a little larger facility.  There is no opulence involved here.  It is a relatively spartan environment without frills.  Even with that, room to operate is critical.  If 2009's budget can't accommodate this need, then let's be very certain that it gets done in 2010...and that it doesn't get short shrift over and over again.

Special Board Meeting Follow-Up...

The special meeting of the village board was convened at 5:35PM with Trustee Zabel absent but expected soon thereafter.

In the audience were news reporters, two members of the MATC staff and two school board members.  It appeared that there were also individuals from both Waste Management and, possibly, from Veolia.

The discussion on MATC secession centered on the desire by some that a 'co-signature' be provided for the village board to assert its approval of the filing.  There was discussion that since the village is one of several taxing entities, if the village were included, the others would need to be, too.  This was settled when Trustee Langer offered a motion to have a supporting letter attached to the filing by the school district.  After the second, that motion passed unanimously (with Zabel absent). 

The discussion on the possibility of a referendum regarding road repairs dealt with debt levies, budget trade-offs, and state gas tax proceeds.  It became apparent that there was no support for a referendum and that trustees felt it was their responsibility to determine how best to handle the issue without incurring more debt.  Trustee Vanderheiden offered a motion that was seconded by Trustee Langer to that effect.  That motion passed nearly unanimously with Trustee Zabel abstaining since he had arrived midway through this discussion.

The discussion concerning Waste Management and the current labor issues as those were impacting the village followed.  While President Kempinski and Administrator Schornack indicated that each had received calls about delayed pick-ups, the other members of the board were either moot or expressed that they had received no calls.  Discussion as to what would constitute sufficient grounds for action against Waste Management went back and forth.  It seemed to be agreed that there was not sufficient cause to proceed at this point.  Trustee Werderman offered a motion, seconded by Trustee Langer, that this topic of discussion be added to the agenda for the regularly scheduled Board meeting to be held on September 15th.  That motion passed unanimously.

President Kempinski gaveled the meeting to adjournment.

Harley 105th Anniversary Impact From The Police' Perspective...

I was curious as to how the police department viewed the 105th anniversary given the thousands of bikes in our area nearly all hours of the day and night.  Chief Pete Hoell indicated that there was one minor injury accident involving a motorcycle.  He mentioned that he had now experienced the 95th, 100th and 105th reunion celebrations and said, "Overall, as far as I'm concerned, this was a great event and we'll be looking forward to the 110th."

He also provided an anecdote that I think provides a great overview of the typical attendees:

"I was off duty with my kids driving east on Holy Hill Rd. in Richfield on Friday.  I was following a couple of Harley bikes eastbound when a high performance bike (crotch rocket) came from the other direction (westbound) and did a short wheelie from the stop sign.  The biker in front of me was wearing colors, long grey curly hair; typical stereotype of a biker one may think of from earlier years.  When he saw the wheelie and as the high performance bike drove by, the Harley biker made his displeasure of this act very clear and scolded him by shaking his arm and pointer finger at him.  It was a really good example how ethical most Harley bikers are, how willing they are to step up regarding the issue of safety and good behavior."

Nuff said!

McCafe?

Have you noticed the newest signage on the side of the McDonald's on Mequon Road?  What is meant by the word "McCafe" I wondered?

Could it be a new look?  Could it be a promo effort of some kind?

Well...Google to the rescue.  Click here.

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Citizen Observer Program:  Still More...

Some overriding thoughts seem to stay with me as I reflect on my ride along.

Our department is good...very good.  The individuals know their business and are very professional in how they approach their business.

They have everything on their side.  If you're thinking you can get away with something, you are, in my opinion, kidding yourself.  I was really making every effort to see things that Cpl. Delmore saw.  A missing headlight was easy.  The blacked out windows escaped me.  I asked him what triggers a stop and he told me there are literally hundreds of reasons for a vehicle stop.

The reason can be as small, to us, as a license plate light not functioning.  Virtually every vehicle that approaches a squad has been 'clocked'.  The places that are more likely to produce violations are known by every member of the department in every region of the village.  Parking in fire lanes is a favorite, as it should be.  Cruising through a motel parking lot looking for vehicles with local registrations is productive so far as underage drinking and drug use.

Particular times during each shift have their own peculiarities.  Work lets out; bars close, games end, etc.

If you've been stopped before, there is a very good chance the officer will remember you, what the stop entailed and when it occurred.  If you're stopped again by a different officer, they have all the records at their fingertips.  We encountered two or three people in one eight hour block who had been ticketed for something within the prior twelve months.

If you're going to repeat, you're going to get caught.  It is just that simple.  The officers are not there to make your lives miserable; they are there to keep the rest of the citizens safe.

Some repeaters seemed to believe that they were simply in the "wrong place at the wrong time".  Or, they were "hanging with the wrong group at work".  In reality, they were doing a wrong thing again...and they got caught...again.  There are, unfortunately, people who think they can continue down the path without paying a price...or they're impaired to the point that they simply don't think at all. 

I have a better understanding of the technology available to our police officers and I know that only a fool would try to beat "the system".  You might get lucky once in awhile...but you'll lose sooner or later.  With any 'luck' when that happens it won't involve someone else who really was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fire Department Gear...

The subject of replacement firefighter equipment that was approved and forwarded