Township’s new police chief getting to know community
By Tracy Ouellette
SLN Staff
When Don Jensen Sr. accepted the position of chief of police for the Town of East Troy, he had some big shoes to fill. Former chief, James Surges had served on the township’s police force for 41 years before retiring at the end of 2016.
Jensen joined the Police Department on Jan. 9 and got to work right away.
“I delved right into what was going on,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with everyone at the department and I’ve enjoyed working with everyone. They’re all very professional and take great pride in their work. It’s really a credit to the previous administration.”
Jensen said his vision for the department was very much community focused and he’s been working on some new programs and ways for the township’s police force to become even more involved in the community.
“One of the first things I did was send out a survey to all 23 business owners in the township,” Jensen said. ‘I also gave my officers a survey, board members and Town Hall staff. It wasn’t the exact same survey; I wanted certain questions answered relevant to their positions.”
Jensen said he wanted to know how the Police Department and its officers were perceived by the area business owners, the board members and town staff so he could use the information in forming a 1, 3 and 5-year strategic plan for the department.
“You have to begin with an end in mind,” he said. “I was very pleased with the response rate and the insightfulness of the responses.”
Jensen, who worked for the Village of Twin Lakes and City of Milwaukee police departments in his career, said he’s been getting to know the people in the community and is looking forward to some of the upcoming events and programs he’s been working on.
“Things are going great and I’m having a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and I’m getting more involved in community now. We’re going to be part of the COPS Kids Camp – for the kids of fallen officers – at Army Lake this year, I’m really looking forward to that.”
According to the camp’s website, COPS Kids Camp is for surviving children (age 6 to 14) and their parent/guardian of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. Campers have the opportunity to attend age-appropriate grief counseling sessions and participate in activities such as swimming, fishing, arts and crafts, canoeing, ropes courses, archery, shooting sports and campfire skits.
Jensen said some of the other things he’s planning include activities and improvements on Lake Beulah.
“We’re going to be involved in Operation Dry Water, a national push by law enforcement to help deter drunken boating June 30 to July 2,” he said. “And right now, I’m pushing to get the ordinance changed so that waterskiing on Lake Beulah will only be in one direction.
“If everybody was going in the same direction, it would be safer for everyone,” he continued. “Lake Mills is counterclockwise only and that’s a good thing to have.”
Jensen said the Police Department took delivery of a new boat, which will make its debut on the water this year.
“We’re still doing the things you have to do to make it a police boat, so I don’t know exactly when it will hit the water, but soon,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the water activities on the lake in summer and water safety will be our main thrust,” he said. “The people who use our waterways are going to have to follow the rules of water.”
The department also purchased a new squad for patrolling, and will be sporting a new logo in the coming months. Added to that will be a new reporting management system the Town Board approved at a meeting in March.
Jensen said he researched which system would be best for the department for two months before presenting his request to the board.
“You want to have the best system available to carry into the future so you don’t have to keep changing it,” he said.
Another thing Jensen wants to add to his department is Narcan in all of the squads. Narcan (naloxone) is a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose. It has saved many lives.
“I really want to have it available in every squad because we are usually the first on the scene,” Jensen said.
While East Troy is a small town, Jensen said it has to deal with big-city issues like drug addiction and sexual assault frequently and he wants his officers to have the tools they need to do their job.
“I’m really proud of this – our department is now part of Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force,” Jensen said. “We inquired about becoming a member because we recently had a situation like that in the town and what’s a better way to fight against those types of crimes than to be part of a task force with more resources to do a better job than on your own?”
Jensen said he’s proud of his officers and the department’s plans for Internet Safety for Kids, and while they’re a bit busier, the changes are a great thing.
“People should see our department as progressive and proactive,” he said. “They should see us involved with the community and want to join us to help out.”
Jensen said he wants to hear from the community and his door is always open, whether the feedback is positive or negative, he said they can’t fix what they don’t know is wrong.
“I absolutely love being out here,” he said as he was leaving the newspaper office. “I love this community! When the people wave to you here, they use all their fingers! It’s just great!”
Jensen lives in Eagle with his wife, Maria. They have four children, 12 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren.
