Welcome everyone to midday magazine for this April 3rd 2024 have your host James J here
And we are welcoming in our studio today our friends from the Wood County Sheriff's Department
We have Quentin Ellis with us good good afternoon, good afternoon, good to have you with us
Good morning, and we have Scott Goldberg with us as well. Scott good to see you. Hey, good morning
Appreciate both of you guys being here big shout out to share Sean backer for being with us as well
Not with us, but of course Sean's always here pretty much
In print he's as it's press it's felt
No, we appreciate him setting this up as always in the good work there and obviously a big thank you to our friends
It was console rabbits community media. Appreciate you guys very much. Do yourself a favor go to YouTube
Type into your search bar was console rabbits community media. It's subscribed to the great work. They are doing
Guys, how you doing? How's the things going? Quentin start with you. I'm doing real well
Just pass along that the Sean is sorry you can't be here
He's with some of our other command staff at a trauma-informed leadership training over in green Bay
So really further in what we do
Some one of our folks is at the department is leadership development at all levels and being in tune with you know
The changes in the workforce and dealing with people that you know are dealing with trauma whether be at home in the workplace and being able to
Be better for them. So shout out to him for doing that
Took our operations captain Charlie Huguestegger
Patrol lieutenant kelvin door horse and a member from human resource as well at the county over there
So they brave the roads this morning headed over to green Bay right into the heart of some of this but
He makes it hard to give him a hard time
Like you know like I'm all set to like oh, you know joke around
Then that here's something like that. Like I can give him a hard time. That's amazing
You still can James
He enjoys that as much as the other he's certainly dishes it so
That is urgent right on that is that is really cool though
You know, this is something that we don't get to talk about with law enforcement nearly enough the continuing of education
We're going to actually touch on this a little bit with some tech news that we want to get into
But it's it's one of those ends
Sections of the job that we never really cover. I can't imagine how many classes or how many programs that you guys do
Over the years in the training that you take and I don't know if that this is necessarily every officer that does this
But it sure seems like whether it's an officer or somebody in the sheriff's department you continuing that education
Yeah, the state has requirements that every officer in order to return or retain their certification in the state
Has 24 hours of of training a year and some of those are very specific and what they have they have a hang on qualification course
Evac which is like the pursuit driving
has to have four hours every two years and
um
That outside of that they they do encourage the the refreshers and debt and the you know some of the hard skills that we do what they don't really have a
Mandate on yet as a soft skills and that's where I'm really proud of our department
In that we are picking up the ball and running with that
Sean has really brought that again. You want me to mention this week our 13th crisis intervention team training is taking place over at Eastern
Your high
The vast majority of our staff sworn and civilian have been through that. We're just getting new people caught up to that
And that that is expanding on within those 24 hours
It's kind of left up to agencies on what they want to do
So people eat that up on legal updates more of the hard
Police skills if you will yeah, and we certainly do focus on that
We have a lot of areas of expertise within our department whether it be computer forensics
Instructors in those areas some of the technology stuff we're going to talk about
But we're very focused on mental health not only in the community
But as well as our staff our leadership teams
So we'd dedicate a lot of our training hours to that we got to let Scott get out of here pretty soon
So we got to get to him
But I I think maybe we can get into that a little bit more later if you don't mind coin
I'd really like to I think that's a fun one to get into and and really interesting to the audience
They they don't know a lot of that stuff
But we we're going to start with tech until I derailed us
There is some really interesting things going on with you guys with the tech over there
Absolutely and I'll let Scott speak to the the first part of it
We have very exciting time shares department
Working collaboratively with our county boards secure funding
For some technology projects that we're we're overdue
And we're catching up with the times
Scott will talk about the flock
Camera system that we're working to get implemented and then I'll follow up later with an axon
We call it an officer safety bundle of technology that
That we're working on currently as well. Excellent. Yeah, I think I think just just so the audience understands a flock is
I had no idea what flock was just a few years ago
And then
We're lucky enough to start utilizing it
Occasionally because our county didn't have any so what it is is it's a it's a set of cameras
That basically go around
Different locations throughout the county
We're starting out with five in our county. Four of them are going to be stationary
Two on the north end and then two on the south end of the county
And then we have one mobile camera and what these cameras do is they have a the capability to do a license plate read
Which is important
But they also record
Video footage of those vehicles
So
Just to give an example of what that what that had why that's important is if we have a crime that takes place
Let's just say just pass the room to about here and let's say one of those cameras was posted
Nearby as that person drives by it'll it'll
Obtain that license plate and then
Save it for a period of time up to 30 days
So that becomes very important obviously when we're trying to solve crimes the other thing that is probably more and
It's almost more important is we can put in a alert out
So we can log into this website
One of our officers and in all of our officers will have access to it including our dispatch center
We can if let's say we have let's just say a child abduction and but we have a plate to that
Um, we can put that plate number in and then if if that vehicle drives past one of the cameras that stationary
um, it'll notify dispatch and all the officers that are working that that vehicle has been spotted
Wow, and so it's not just child abduction
I mean this could be as simple as a gas drive off that we can utilize
We like to talk about the big stuff
You don't child abductions or homicides or things like that, but we'll be utilizing it for
um
All different types of crimes
We've already utilized it for different types of crimes. Um, we don't have these
Cameras yet. They're they're working and getting them installed but communities around us
Have them and so we're able to log in and still get those alerts and so be utilizing them the soft crimes
Uh, it's got this is fascinating to me and really interesting
In part because we've gotten comfortable with cameras on our signs and different things
Uh, and I think a lot of us can just assume that this is law related or helps you guys in your task in your job
To hear some of the details of this new this new tech is really interesting. I mean I
There's a couple of things that really stood out to me the the saving it for 30 days
I don't know that that seems new
Uh, that the previous programs didn't do that that seems really really helpful especially with
Every second counts whatever the crime is we've heard it our whole lives with when it comes to a homicide or a missing person
But that's every case uh, it that the as soon as the clock starts ticking
Everything is you know, you've got to get that information as soon as you can so there's that part of it too
It's interesting about the missing persons or or the abductions that part of this is a really interesting part of it to me that
Maybe we get um better
Maybe maybe we we we create more uh, uh, you know, solvings of those cases and and uh more
I can't imagine because the thing that I keep thinking about is that stuff we're not even thinking about yet
This happens with tech all the time we we start with this idea and we find out oh we can do this with it too
We can do this and with something like this with law enforcement involved
I can only imagine the the things that will come of it over the years. Yeah, one of the things I think um we
I had concerns about because you know all these projects and you you involved tech it's expensive right
And so you want to get the best bang for your buck out of it and if we can solve crimes and um
By doing this and so time was a big thing like how fast do we actually get these reads so um during this um
Obviously they give you the sales pitch right and you always wonder right and so on of our neighboring
Departments already got already have their cameras up and I was speaking with them about that
And they put a test run and their cameras got going before they even went live with it. They put one of their squads
License plates and then drill past
Within a second or two they are already received notification on this what they call hot list that they have
That that vehicles cross that camera. So I mean that is really fast. Yeah, and it will give
Our officers's ability our dispatchers will also get these alerts and be able to
Dispatch um our officers even if they're not staring at their because if they're driving they're not staring at their computer screens
Right, so um they'll be able to dispatch um, you know, maybe we have this vehicle that's involved in a burglary or
Maybe it's a vehicle that we're tracking for a drug situation
There's so many uses the other part that I think is important to
It has the ability
Let's say the vehicle because what criminals do is they're trying to get away with things right
So maybe they are they they obstruct their license plate
We can just type in let's say our red sedan or red. Let's we can go down to the type of vehicle like a red Kia
With a sticker with in the back window
We can log into that and it'll show us every Kia
Within a time frame in those locations at that point
That's that gives us a chance
So if we have an eyewitness to a crime let's say a burglary for an example and they said while we know as a fordoor car
If we know as a fordoor car, it was gray
You know, it's too far away to get a license plate
But it had a big huge sticker in the back window
We can put that in there and it'll give us all the vehicles that match that description
And then but the cool part is the camera is on the roadway near the roadway
And then we'll be able to obtain all the license plates that kind of match that vehicle because there might be more than one
But it gives us a starting point which right now a lot of times we don't have it's incredible
It's interesting you bring up the budget part of this
You know, we just got done with an election day and pretty successful
We'll we'll touch on that a little bit later Quentin
But um
We we just saw that um
number of different counties
Didn't want to didn't want okay a budget for schools and and putting money into education
You guys know this better than I do and most do as far as putting money into our law enforcement and getting you guys a budget
Because the the the the the eyes go to the tank or go to this or that or whatever the tech part of this is something that doesn't get talked about and does is
vital going forward for our law enforcement the
The the criminal element has all the budget in the world like they got no issues with that
Uh, we need to keep up to date with them if not be ahead of them on these things
This kind of stuff helps us get closer to that for for instance, you know these cameras are expensive, but
Um at this you know, there's certain there's departments not far from us
And I don't want to name other departments because I don't want to speak for them
But they could have put other officers on
Um, but it was actually cheaper to add cameras that have 24 hour service
That could give that data nonstop
So it's it's obviously important to have patrolman out there right um, but at the same time if they can add
A certain amount of cameras that give 24 hour coverage to your to your community
um
And give you immediate results
Um, you're you're you're actually saving money in some ways um, and you know, these cameras started out as just a community
Um, and I I sound like I'm giving a salespin for the cameras
But obviously the the person that sold up to us did a good job, but um, these cameras started out
Um, where you'd have these high in neighborhoods that want to know who was coming and going from their neighborhoods
And so that's how they started and then
And neighborhoods put them up and then started sharing this information with police
And then that's kind of how they got the idea
Not to get a sidetracked again, but I have been curious about this with the rise of cameras
And and not just be you know, everybody on their phone having cameras, but now everybody house has a camera
Most every doorbell nowadays has one of those cameras. Do you think that this or does this um make it your job
I hate to say make your job easier. That is I feel like I'm annoying you guys if I say that, but uh, it does it
Does it assist your job?
I'm like it really does I was curious about that work smarter or not harder right right right
I'm gonna say if you try to put a value to these if you did like a time value versus the wages
It would take one officer to work on a missing or abducted child case and it's not gonna be one
We're gonna have you know, we're gonna have all the resources we can work on that
It wouldn't take many hours of all those resources being allocated to chasing down leads
That maybe the these cameras do for us in seconds. Yeah, um where
The that's a value, right? I mean that's a tangible value, but ours worked versus the time this camera saved you
what is intangible
But more valuable is the abducted children the silver alerts
Things like that where we find people who are endangered because of these cameras
And likely save their lives because child abductions
There's statistics that are just horrifying
As to how terrible and how quickly they can go that bad
And with these tools in our arsenal throughout the nation. Um, we found it a child out east, right?
Yeah, yeah, based based off of flock cameras. Yeah, so
So um that you can't put a value to that no, no
Yeah, so a few years ago we had a
A missing child that was found out in the New York area that um, ultimately we didn't even know if these cameras were at the time
Yeah, I'm sure some of our people that I didn't but they were utilizing those type of cameras
Along with tollway cameras and things like that
I think drones are a good example of this too for people where most of us first heard about drones in war
And then it started becoming a kind of a thing where you know, the guy who had some money
You know, he had one and he was flying around the neighborhood or whatever
And now we see the evolution of those where how many kids how many silver alerts have we been able to solve because of drone footage
And them seeing a land that we can't get to or something this is the expansion of this
Our society focuses so much on the negative of tech and that's that's understandable
I get some of that but we have to give the credit where it's do sometimes too
This is some incredible things that are happening here and that's not the only thing there again
Thank you Scott for the great information. Appreciate that
Quentin, I know that you had something in the tech realm that you wanted to touch on as well
Yeah, the sheriff's department's been working on updating our
Officer safety bundle for over three years now
Our body cameras our squad cameras our electronic control devices are tasers and the
Evidence management system that all goes along with those
We've been fortunate to have tasers in deployment since 2003
Our squad cameras have been in all of our squad since about 2010 and our body cameras since 2016
So at that time we were kind of on the front edge of that but it's tech is expensive to replace
Axon
gives a bundle that we're again fortunate to work with our county board to secure funding for
That will replace all of our tasers with the newest technology
The squad cameras are being installed as we speak over at our rescue shop and all 28 of our patrol cars our
armored vehicle for our SWAT team
And all of our body cameras will be replaced
So
Another neat fact that built on what Scott was saying with flock is these these squad cameras are immensely better than the ones we had installed
2010 right those are end-of-life
Not really supported anymore, but we limped them along and
We within hours of our first squad camera being to our new squad camera being deployed
It was out on patrol and north end of the county and marshal had a pursuit
Our officer was going to respond to assist and
So he's coming towards the area and I don't know if he was at the lowest speed getting ready to turn around stop to turn around
The fleeing vehicle comes comes at him 100 miles an hour
This camera caught not only the vehicle took a picture of the plate
I mean we're talking a hundred miles an hour closing speed and the cameras we have now we would have been like you see a blotter
But it not only grabbed that plate
But it can interact with the flock
System for any flag plates that we might be looking for a homicide vehicle drives by you
You don't know about it and it's gonna pop up on on your machine
So with with all that I can't thank the county board enough
Because it was quite an investment. I was an impact to our budget
But they saw the value in the need
Again, keep our officers safe the tasers are things that we hopefully don't have to use all that much
But it's a less lethal use of force
The squad body cameras help protect our officers keep them safe as well as provide transparency
And then a neat part of that is this is all cloud-based storage and access now for that for that media where before
Our squad to have to come in upload it be on a physical server
But then if you had an open record request James or
You were the victim like crime you wanted the squad footage or even to share with our prosecutors office
It would take our staff
Finding the video exporting the file
Burning a DVD making a copy of the DVD and then sending that up. So ours lost
Resources spent on on storage devices that you know are outdated. Yeah computers don't even come with the DVD player
You know or DVD drives
Again, we were fortunate to have what we did we made it work as long as we could
But yeah to be stepping up and into current times with this technology is just just incredible
um another feature that comes with it is
Awful as this may sound it's great for protecting our officers and providing transparency is the triggers
So if Scott and I are at a scene and we have our body cameras it used to be
That we would have to activate them. So it was a choice to activate them. It was a memory to activate them
But if I'm being attacked I'm not thinking oh I better press this button right and see what's going on
Now there are deployment triggers or if a weapon's on holster
Not only my body camera immediately activates
But any of our officers in this area they activate to show that all the angles that that can be because one angle
Even I'm video can be shooting sure
So it's just a testament of like you said the technology developments and and I thought it's funny that he asked if that was insulting to us
Made our job easier and I appreciate that but it works smarter in our heart the technology is there
And it'll free up a ton of time with on the back end of it managing the
Media that we have
Even getting into their prosecutors offs. Obviously they need the best stuff that are the best visible evidence all the evidence from us to
prosecute the case
And we can get it to him by sending an email link like an internet link
So
What the times certainly going into what we're talking about with time and and getting on these things quicker and hopefully getting a case
Solve that's that's key to that the the sharing of information being a lot freer and smoother that the times
Save there is more time being spent on a case. So that's key and that's important to this too
But it's quintin something that you said there that I really appreciate and I appreciate of all of the sheriff's
Department so much is bringing up the accountability for one that's appreciated
But also giving us the other angle of that because as a society we focus so much on that the the accountability end of things
And wanted to make sure that you guys are doing it blah blah blah blah blah
Although, you know, doesn't seem to care with other things, but that's other side so good but
But your safety should be number one a one b we can chew gum walk at the same time
We can want accountability from our officers like every good officer wants that too
They know that that nobody dislikes a bad officer more than a good officer
Like that's something that gets lost in the shuffle sometimes a lot
But also your safety the safer you guys are the better you're going to be able to do your job
Nobody can do their job well when all you're doing is worrying or or nervous or stressed
And there's enough of those things already in there. I imagine but to have that that that
That comfort for lack of a better word right there that not only it goes on for you
But your fellow officers know oh
Quentin had to pull out his gun something like that like that the spreading of that information is also key to this too
The safety end of things so we don't get to touch on that very often. Yeah, it's a it's great our officers embraced it
When we first got body cams there's apprehension because what if I slip up and somebody's really
Get my go and I you know, I don't I don't speak how I want to yeah or something along those lines some
People were a little concerned about that I think because it's changed right
But they have fully embraced it because the the first few videos we got
Uploaded and we'd get a complaint call and while your officers said this to me is rude to me
Um, I'm gonna bring one up of Scott actually
Because it was the exact like reason we had these a mom called and said that your officer was rude to my child and dutch
Tada I'm like, oh, okay. I'm watching the video
Would would you like to come see it and it was the exact office that Scott was pleading with this kid hey
Don't make a bad choice. It wasn't like end of the world stuff
But he was trying to prevent a bad situation from happening. It's like hey, there's trouble there
Don't go do that like you're not in any trouble now, and it was like the kindest like most preventive
police
Currents that you could have but when
The child came home and told mom something different because ultimately they did later make a bad choice
But when we can say would you like to watch the video?
Um
You know that I haven't seen very many misunderstandings
Not cleared up by the video we have if that makes sense. It's so it really does
Especially I think everybody has been in the he said she said such a situation before this really gives some evidence to that
In cameras make cops better
One our investigations are better because we're human too right so we can go back and look at those videos
Sometimes you'll see a statement that um, so I'm an investigation some lieutenant investigations
I often will tell my guys hey go back review that video
Maybe there's a statement that was said that maybe because you're right. No, it's you're taking notes and things like that
You go back and sometimes you'll miss a statement or how that person said it
um
Also you know you're being recorded um, so and we want to be as transparent as possible at the department
And I think that's really important for the community to have trust in us and and we are transparent
So having every angle like this and every uh and having recordings on our officers in our cars
Um
We're willing to share those you know when we can obviously per per state statute
We're gonna share those and and that's important for the community to have that trust with us too
We're gonna share you Scott uh, we're gonna have to let you go for here because you're off to do something else
Would you mind telling the audience what you're going to do? Yeah, I'm going to
To a meeting at the family center and uh, we're talking about sexual abuse and sexual assault and uh, I think it's important
You know, the community knows that we work with many different departments and
Um, without the throughout the county and so these are uh meeting with several officers throughout the
um
The county including Marshfield rapids
Pitsville
And then other agencies such as Marshfield medical center and
first health
And then the family center and how we help sexual assault victims
Get through a bad situation. I hope I didn't put you on the spot
I just I just wanted to note that in a pre and just a kind of piggybacking off of where we started here with the
Additional continued learning and the other side things that
You guys do all the time that we don't again get a chance to touch on very often
Appreciate that's got appreciate the time today too. Uh, safe travels out there. We'll talk soon. I appreciate it
We'll have take a quick time out checking with our partners. We'll come back and have some more fun here on midday magazine at WF HR
Welcome back everyone to midday magazine for the April 3rd, 2024
Have your host James C. Mailoff here. We're joined by the Wood County Sheriff's department. We have uh, Sheriff
Quentin Ellis with us right now. Quentin. Go. He's good to see you. Thanks for being here. You're back. Thanks for having me
Appreciate the time. Um, when I get back into some of the tech with you and and touch a couple of other random notes
That we have but we just got done with an election
As spring election here in rap. It's in here in Wood County and really and I've seen the state
But just focusing on Wood County here
Um, all I can tell seem like pretty smooth seem like things went pretty well. How about from your perspective?
Very well. I met with uh
Security services lieutenant Brian Peterson this morning, which is another addition the Sheriff's Department's made over the past four years
Keep our courthouse
Camp is safe. We have a division of deputies assigned to that he was in for
The the ballot counting last night, which is something that hadn't really been able or been provided before in the past and so the certain parts of the courthouse have to be open
So that people can I guess witness that and again that transparency of government
So we do have security staff on site until I think it was 10 30 11 o'clock last night
But he enjoys that stuff and he said there's no problems that he was aware of
We have a great working relationship with Trent minor the county clerk and um
You know, we do get vigilant. I don't want to say nervous, but vigilant around elections because um in today's date
There are people that um like to try and disrupt them um we we're hearing of
um
Security concerns for poll workers where we're you know unnamed substances sometimes fentanyl sometimes other stuff are being sent to locations
that can disrupt an election
In harm workers and and that's that's just repulsive. You have people volunteering their time to do ensure one of the
Democratic, you know rights of our country are
Being appellate people have in their right to vote and should be able to do so safely
um and so
Fortunately, we haven't had concerns with that
No reports that I saw of any disruptions at a polling place
Um or anything like that. So we're fortunate. I uh, I always like to give be a transparent myself with the audience and uh
Did for note my oldest daughter is a poll worker. She's been doing that an election poll worker since she was 18
She's been doing this and uh, I've learned more about what it is to be a election poll worker from her and in talking with others in this job
And uh, I put that ahead to say that I cannot think of many things that are more cowardly or un-american than messing with our democracy
It seems like them. I don't know how more opposite you can get the end of being an American by messing with our democracy
And it's great to hear that this was a little of a a calmer
Elections like I was certainly a smaller one a spring election not as big as a presidential one
But it will take the winds where we can get them right and and I think more and more normalcy only creates more of that
We get back to kind of the way things were if you were in a way a new version of that
Where we treat each other with respect no matter who you're voting for right um they they're it's a little hard to remember for some people out there
But we come from a time where one we never really talked politics right
I wouldn't know who you were voting for you wouldn't know who I was and god help you if you asked that right like that
That was one of the more like like whoa, you know you don't he I don't even know if I you would ask a relative that let alone
Just somebody that you randomly knew right, but certainly where I don't remember growing up hearing a poll workers life
Being threatened or a judges life being threatened like different times very different and and I don't I don't like to be old man
Yelling at cloud or anything like that
But this is one of those few things where I will be old man yelling at cloud and like we got to get back to some of this
And the only way to get back to that is some normalcy is some of these things having more and more elections like yesterday
Go smoothly where everybody is just kind of helping freedom ring right and we do take that
Seriously, we do provide extra patrols. We aren't gonna station people out of specific polling place because I
Create some some feelings as well, but if there's a threats or things like that
Obviously, they're not gonna go on notice
We do provide extra patrol around polling places during the hours on election days and
So it's certainly something that's on our radar and again, we have an excellent working relationship with the county clerk
So he keeps us informed of any potential threats or developments across the state just to make us aware. So again
You know, I can't preach enough that team team approach extends beyond the sheriff's department to our other county
Departments and the poll workers and we just want everybody to be safe
Yeah, and it's a great well done by everybody
Everybody in the community everybody that voted the poll workers everybody out there that made that happen
We appreciate it absolutely
And you know, we got a whole we got a long year ahead of us still
So let's keep that in mind everybody and keep keep that theme up of treating each other with some respect out there
We're speaking with Quentin Ellis from the county sheriff's department and Quentin
We were talking tech earlier yes, and in that conversation we got into a little bit of the budget
And I find budgets it more interesting the older I get over oh again the more I get older and stuff that because it's something
I never thought much about as a kid
But as an adult I see the importance of being smart with your money
And you mentioned something that I believe Scott did too about yeah, Scott did about making getting you bang for your buck
Something everybody can relate to
When it comes to for you guys one
The budget is different obviously, but you have to be so
strategic with these things and then with the tech stuff you have to think ahead
And I how much does that play into the decision making of a budget?
I'm not to put all this on you like it's just your decision
But when you and your the team are discussing these things
Who's whose impact who's in opinions go into the budget decisions?
At the sheriff's department
You know, we don't necessarily have as same day to day
I don't interact with say a night shift deputy as much as I do Sean and Scott and Charlie and that and that's not
For any reason other than just scheduled design right, but we do try to allow certainly more input from what the staff needs
It as we prepare our budget
A big part of my position is I'm tasked with preparing the budget
And managing it, but that's not a one-person deal. We're a team
So we'll sit down in like the axon project
Was over three years in the making. I was working on gathering stuff for the team
When I was an operations captain then chief deputy Randy Doerhorst
I was bouncing numbers off of him Sean as sheriff was was in the mix certainly
Leading the way he wants us to get with the times. Yeah
So as far as who has input it's a it's a team approach
We sit down
Sean has a whiteboard in his office. You know these are our needs these are our wants and you're right
We have to research
To get the best bang for a buck because I'm not spending my money only or or or we're not spending just
The sheriff's department's money. It's taxpayer dollars
So when we go to our committee or to the county board saying we need to to purchase X Y or Z
Well, we want our eyes dotted in our teeth cross that yeah, we've looked for the best deal
We've found the best product and this is why we need to do this
And I believe our team has done an excellent job with that. We've really brought the department
Back to where it needs to be technologically and with our staff. So very proud of that
The the camera the cameras who we were talking about earlier with Scott and a big appreciation to him
I think he broke that down really good for us and explained it really well
The placements of those cameras is that something that's also there's being some homework being done on like oh
We're not just throwing them up anywhere. How are you deciding where to put those um the investigative team
Really kind of led the charge on that as far as hot spots in the county or
significant areas of through fair whether like a city or a village will generally try to
Address points of ingress and egress
In and out of the city or village counties a little more challenging. So we're trying to
Pick the best spots as far as coverage now. You don't want five in one spot
No coverage in the southeast part of the county
But I'll be honest out in certain areas of pretty rural
There's you're not going to get a lot of captured with that so you aren't getting a good return on your investment there
So the investigative team met they paired down to my Diaz met with operations captain some of the patrol supervisors
And that's generally
Who's at the table? I will say as far as a meeting
But that's not to say they're the only ones with decisions like if somebody from patrol says hey
We've had a lot of problems in this location. You know, that's going to get filtered into our meetings
We meet monthly as an admin team
More frequently than that and smaller breakout groups. So really
I can't say enough to it's a definite team effort. No, we aren't just throwing darts at a burn the hell put them there
So what we're looking to get the most use out of got it admit that had been one of the more hilarious answers
I would have got though if you're like ah, we just got to put we just say that we thought it looked good over here
I wouldn't want to go to county barn say I don't know
I mean we I threw a dart and that's what I was but no certainly very calculated and certainly a program that
Will evaluate as we start to utilize it and then adjust from there if it's successful
We'll look to expand it if it's not will move on. I was wondering if if we were going to allow for more cameras or the movement of the cameras
We already have it's not working very well here maybe to be better suited here
That's certainly something we with the budgeting process
That we do every year we evaluate whether it belonged to a subscription service or a software bundle that does X Y or Z
We'll evaluate it and is it worth it and
The guys and gals have been really good at all. Yeah, Q. This is we need this price one up, but we need it
Okay, well, we'll figure that out or they've also come and said no, that's kind of fallen off like that's not it anymore
There's a new trend that we need to move those dollars over here. Okay, great
So it is a it's a living document. I never thought I'd be this
Into it and you know, it's time to be a cop to do the SWAT stuff and all the fun stuff and talk about earlier
Now I joke that
Most days I need to calculate or more than
Mostly here I have
But that's it that speaks to the passion for the job to like
To stay with something even when it may be different than you expected or you're wearing more hats than you expected
I can relate to that. I bet you joke or relate to that too
As far as going into an industry with one thing in mind and you know
Years later looking back at it like wow, I did not expect to end up here or have these tasks
But I I welcome it. I'm good with it. Yeah, so I don't I talk about that every now and again
We you know, I don't want to say we're getting towards the end of our career
But as a whole cycle, you know, we're probably closer to the end in the beginning
We kind of you know look at where the department was when we started where it is now that we're in the positions where our I mean
We're very proud of it, but we're we're not done growing and we want to make sure
Our team that maybe is a little longer younger than us will be around logging us our setup well and and keep moving forward
One of the things that I thought was no worthy talking with Sean from the first conversation and with you
And so many people in the department is the focus on mental health and you touched on this a little bit earlier
And the continuing education the continuing programming on that subject
What are some of the ways that you are trying to do that you and the team are trying to expand on that information and that knowledge
So like I mentioned before we have almost all of our staff
sworn and
Civilian in the jail through crisis intervention team training. It's week-long training dealing with
Just what it says crisis intervention intervening in somebody's when they're in crisis
To get them connected with proper resources so that they don't become involved in the criminal justice system
It's it's getting somebody hooked up with
counseling or
Mental health help rather than hey, they go to jail because they committed a
By the black and white law crime
So that is I don't want to say basic because it's not something that Sean has
Really prioritized even when before he was sheriff. He was really leading the way with that
Not a lot of departments can can say or boast like we can that
majority of their staff are certified in it
And have gone through that that's something we're proud of we've expanded our chaplain program to four chaplums working the county
To provide
Help to whether be a death notification to to the community or our staff when we're going through some hard times
We've added a mental health sergeant in duck christianson. That was grant funded for the first few years
We have peer support teams that people are trained in and most recently
We've added a therapy dog through grant funding. Yes
Lola is a black lab. She's handled by lieutenant Susanna Wagner in the jail and like
You want to talk about an instant impact you know monday morning
I haven't had enough coffee yet and I'm a Lorna because a bunch of bills are on the desk and Lola walks in you melt
Yeah, okay days fine there. Yep
so
Even yesterday
Like to mention James one role was a court officer
supervisor in the jail for he retired after 15 years of service to the county
Great guy. We're gonna greatly miss him
But Lola was at the party and she's laying in the middle of the floor
In front of everybody and you see cops that are normally standing around and looking the part sitting on the floor rubbing her belly because it just
It's a big stress reliever. So outside of that
It's it's just creating a culture of checking out each other and being there for each other and and realizing that people in our community
Are going through stuff. It is simple as that sounds. That wasn't law enforcement 20 some years ago
That was
Okay, you're acting up. I don't have any other options for either go to jail or I leave
and and we're
We're much more in tune as a department as a profession now to the fact that you know
There's more to why people are acting the way they are that you know that sometimes they're they're going through stuff
And maybe stuff we don't understand but we recognize that and get them to the professionals that can I think our society is better for that
That's an opinion you know that I feel that that's the case
But statistically, it's not an opinion that crime has
We are smarter with crime now that the stats has spoken to this and across the country especially especially here in Wisconsin
The more the department's focus on mental health the more that we are seeing are
Everything from the amount of court cases of the judge sees to
uh bail
Pay different things it affects almost everything when you you know all of a sudden you you change the approach and it's not just
Black and white you messed up you go away. It's hey, why did you do this?
It was the first conversation Sean and I had was was this and I didn't know him from left or right
But as soon as he said that I backed that man
And I will to the end of time in part because this is so important going forward
For everybody you are citizens everybody going forward mental health is one of the bigger things we need to face
And I think as a society we've done a good job talking about it
But now the real work comes in of not only giving each other grace and understanding this
When you see something on the news in a person messes up or something like that and in your head
Not just going immediately to lock them up throw away the key
But why did they do this maybe you will get to that point of locking them up and throw away the key
There's still those kind of criminals out there
But there's also the type of criminal that is doing something
Oftentimes that they may not even realize what they're doing or the full length of what it is etc etc
There's a lot of depth to this crime is not black and white our approach to it shouldn't be right and I believe our team is done
an excellent job and and addressing that
It used to be if one of our staff went to a bad call
Maybe it was your first traffic fatality or something you'd get the
The locker room hey you good
There's only one way to answer that right yeah fine. Yeah, I'm good
And you'd know the person might be struggling or or and and it's not always
Like you see on TV like an instant shut down
Mental health episode, but the person might not realize that it bothered them yet because it's new to them
They're processing it so they they handle that call and then they go on to the next and
But as a department with the knowledge and training that we've gotten in this
I believe we've gotten better at at being able to follow up and and yeah
You and I might be a comment like James to good and you can hit yeah, and then okay because we have people around
But then we circle back later and like hey, I know I know that bothered you man because because we're tight
We're a family um him and we care about each other and and um we've done a good job as a team
We can always get better. We're always looking to get better and prove responses
Keep the that training going um again developing our peer support. We're always looking for for ways to expand it
Um in our admin teams done done a great job at that Sean leading the way
We have deputies involved
Supervisors involved I know Captain Hugo Stager Lieutenant Dolorhorst our big time on
On critical incident stress deep briefs um the chaplain program peer support
So when I start to talk about I get even more proud about our department the the options that we have now that that weren't here
When I started 27 years ago
Well that again kind of ties back into what we were talking about joking around with Joe and everything about how we we go into these industries thinking
We know the job to a degree and what we'll be doing and then you look a couple years later
And I imagine psychology and in thinking of mental health and a lot of those things with not something that you thought about going into
This you know field not at all and now it's a it's something that's trained um and
Again, I give a ton of credit to Sean when he was elected sheriff and even before
I mean it was a passion of his but then leading the department he's um
Um
He's done it the right way to it isn't uh we're going to do this get on board. I mean he's uh
He's genuine and people are buying in and and that's good to see because that's when you get your best result
When people are bought in and and I believe they are y'all are too humble for this uh
I'll say it your game changers
This is game changing. This is the way forward. This is how our society
This is how things get better is things like this people making decisions like sheriff becker and you and the team have made to this is something we care about
We're going to put some time and energy into this. This is the definition of game changing
We want our society to feel more closer to our our armed forces our our police departments our fire departments all of these things
How do you build that bridge? This is part of how you build that bridge how we become a safer society in a stronger one
We're better together. We're better when we work together
That's what's going on here. That's what's happening here and it's uh you're you're proud. I'm proud
I think it's pretty darn cool and I as a kid coming from my background
I never thought I'd be at this point. I never saw that coming so I'm thankful for it and while we appreciate
The approach that the sheriff becker and that your team
Takes to a mental health. It's just as important for us as society if we want you guys to do that
We got to do it for you guys right? We have to also understand that
This is not a cookie cutter situation almost any crime any situation you guys show up for
There's also every day it feels like more and more being put on your plate
Understanding that that what that is like having some empathy for those things. It has to go both ways
It can't just be we expect you guys to have it for us
We've got to be able to do that going forward both ways and I'm not saying this is preaching
It's something that I had to learn to do too
It's something that I've grown into and I think a lot of people have as we've gone more forward
And that's happened in part because it all is connected in part because of the work that you guys are doing
It's pretty cool to see when you take a step back and see how this is evolving that we're in the middle of this as it's happening
20 years now people are going to look back at this and see this as a game changer. I appreciate that. It's very kind of you
Yeah, it means a lot. That's that's what we're here for. I was just reading the script Sean gave me. I did that
Yeah, I'm a pretty good job with that as an actor. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding
I mean, he would be sure I wouldn't write anything like that. It's too humble
Right always appreciate the time Quentin
Thanks god again for us and your whole team over there as we're wrapping up. Was there anything else you wanted to touch on?
You know, I just I'd like to make sure we give credit for credits to this big axon project is quite the undertaking a lot of moving parts
Our operations captain Charlie Huguestegger is doing a phenomenal job taking that over
It's a lot. It doesn't sound when you say tasks of oh, we had to get them installed in the cars
Well, he's coordinating our whole fleet of squads making sure the next shift has squads for patrol
These are getting the cameras installed trouble shooting with our IT department working with the vendor
He's got a lot of irons and fires put a lot of a lot of long hours and getting that done
So I appreciate that
Kalendorf has helped him along the way. It's got Goldberg with the flock program and again, I give a shout out to Sean
It's easier when he's not here. Oh, yeah, he likes he's me and I deserve it
But yeah, the direction he's taking us and our department
We're better for him. So I second that and I also want to add thank you to our friends at Wisconsin
I have his community meeting the great work that you guys do a big thank you to you
I will have more midday magazine for you tomorrow right here on WF HR. We are locally grown radio
