By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
As they do annually, staffers within the Whitewater Police Department have assembled a list of goals aimed at evolving and enhancing operations from one year to the next. Volunteerism and community engagement are among the goals on this year’s list.
Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher discussed some of the department’s goals with members of the Police and Fire Commission on July 9.
Otterbacher shared with commissioners the department’s new volunteer cadet program, which she said has borne fruit in its first few years of existence. The effort is geared toward college students enrolled in criminal justice at a college or university.
“We’ve been very pleased with it,” Otterbacher said. “We haven’t had any problem getting recruits.”
The department has capped participation at a dozen volunteers, Otterbacher said, which is a deliberate move to ensure all participants are obtaining hands-on training in exchange for their time and service. The cadets assist sworn officers with such tasks as managing parades and other large community events.
A second volunteer-driven program, designed for senior citizens, is not yet up and running, but remains on the department’s radar, Otterbacher said.
Using such descriptors as “wise” and “observant,” Otterbacher said she believes there is value in bringing seniors into the fold of the department’s volunteer efforts.
Review on cameras
Otterbacher also discussed the use of police cameras with commissioners at the meeting.
Whitewater is one of a growing number of Wisconsin communities requiring their sworn officers wear a camera at all times while out on patrol. Otterbacher said she has received good feedback from patrol officers.
She relayed with commissioners an incident early this summer involving an officer who responded to a call involving an emotionally disturbed person who had not taken his medications. A battle ensued briefly, and the camera recorded the entire incident.
“It tells the story,” Otterbacher said of the device. “What we watched was (the officer) transition from apprehension to caretaker” as the person was transferred to a facility for psychiatric treatment.
From her vantage point, Otterbacher said she believes the cameras have been a wise investment.
“We can see the officer’s visual perspective,” she said. “What you’re seeing is what they’re seeing. I think it’s a critical piece of transparency and important to our integrity.”
Other business
In other recent business, Otterbacher and commissioners:
- Discussed Whitewater’s annual fundraising effort for Boomer, the department’s four-footed member. Otterbacher said this year’s run-walk netted $1,300, which goes toward ensuring Boomer receives such incidentals as food and veterinary care.
Otterbacher said city dollars do not go toward Boomer’s care. Speaking to fundraising efforts, such as the run-walk, she said, “Every little bit helps.”
- Discussed an ongoing effort to bridge Whitewater’s dispatch communications system with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department.
“It’s going well,” Otterbacher said. “It’s progressing, and that’s a good thing.”
The bridge system is designed to streamline the processes Whitewater dispatchers need to communicate with county operator, particularly in situations where high call volumes occur.
Otterbacher said the goal is to have the process completed by late this year.
