By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A series of ethics-related complaints filed against Whitewater Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher have been deemed unfounded by an outside attorney hired to investigate the issue.
After several months of reviews, Delavan-based attorney Steven R. Wassel submitted a lengthy report of his findings to the city Police and Fire Commission on July 28. The appointed body reviewed Wassel’s report and concurred with his findings.
In May, Whitewater resident Jason Kraayvanger filed a complaint with the city, offering up five different points about Otterbacher. Many of the issues raised in Kraayvanger’s complaint were actually related to the conduct of Otterbacher’s children, though one allegation alleged she sent her children to an underage alcohol party and had them act as confidential informants.
In his report, Wassel said Kraayvanger withdrew his complaint midway through the investigation, but the process continued in an attempt to be as thorough as possible. Wassel said Kraayvanger claimed to have received a death report and based that on his reasoning behind the withdrawal. Wassel never interviewed Kraayvanger during his investigation.
An attempt to reach Kraayvanger for comment for this story was unsuccessful.
While Wassel did not have an opportunity to speak directly with Kraayvanger, he said he did discuss each of the five issues extensively with Otterbacher. He also claimed to observe her while she was at work.
“It is my opinion that no laws were violated, nor were there any violations of the policies and procedures of the City of Whitewater Police Department, which I reviewed extensively,” Wassel wrote in the report. “It is my conclusion that the claims must be deemed unfounded and totally lacking in merit.”
In his conclusion, Wassel said he believed Kraayvanger might have submitted his complaint, based in part on what he described as “urban myths” — allegations that might contain a kernel of truth, but unfounded allegations are used to fill in some of the blanks.
While he bemoaned the fact taxpayer dollars were used to conduct the investigation, commissioner Dave Haberman said the findings and the process used satisfied him. Haberman said he hopes the findings put to rest some of those so-called urban myths.
“I think it had to be done,” Haberman said of the investigation. “I’m happy to see this was investigated thoroughly. Hopefully this clears things up, once and for all.”
In a news release after the Police and Fire Commission issued its decision, Jan Bilgren Craggs, president of the appointed body, issued a statement that read, in part:
“The PFC feels it is a critical part of its role to support and ensure members of the Whitewater Police Department are effectively and professionally performing their duties within the framework of state statutes and the constitution. We appreciate Mr. Wassel’s time and the cooperation of all those involved.”
Otterbacher did not attend the most recent Police and Fire Commission meeting. But in May, when the complaint was first filed, she did address the issue at a Common Council meeting.
“Our integrity is truly the foundation of my family,” Otterbacher said at the time. “In my heart, as Lisa Otterbacher, a police chief and a mother, I believe the integrity of my department and my family is on solid ground.”
