Democratic write-in might challenge winner of primary
Walworth County Sheriff’s Deputy Ken Brauer and Undersheriff Kurt Picknell are gearing up for Tuesday’s showdown in the Republican primary for the soon-to-be vacant Walworth County sheriff’s seat.
David Graves is retiring from the position after serving for 14 years as Walworth County’s sheriff.
Csaba G. Keller, of Fontana, filed papers as a registered write-in for the primary election on the democratic ticket. County Clerk Kim Bushey said in compliance with state statutes, Keller needs to garner a specific percentage of the votes, which she estimated at around 600, to proceed to the Nov. 4 general election. In that case, he would be up against either Brauer or Picknell, depending upon who wins the primary election as the Republican candidate.
In preparation for the Aug. 12 primary election, candidates were asked to speak publicly about several issues. Answers from the Republican candidates are given in alphabetical order.
Preparing to be sheriff
Brauer described the race thus far as an eye-opening experience, although he noted he has been preparing for this election for around five years, knowing that Graves would retire at some point.
“I try to keep politics out of it,” he said. “I’m just a guy trying to do the right thing. I think it’s good for the community to hear a different approach, to hear that not everything’s great going on inside, because, you know, it’s not. It’s not that I’m just out there bashing everything, there’s a lot of good things going on.
“I’m not saying Kurt’s a bad guy. He’s not. I have never had issues with Kurt, but we have different perspectives and different viewpoints on how things need to be done and I think that’s what we need.”
Brauer said he’s the type of person who can’t sit back and watch things he considers wrong, and he said with employees suffering and coming to work miserable, he decided it was time to step up and take on the challenge.
Brauer said he has been talking with administration from other law enforcement departments, soaking in all of the information he could to prepare himself for the role. Brauer said he’s discussed potential situations as well as ideas he has for the department with other officials to get feedback and prepare for what would work well for the department.
“I sat down in 2009, 2010, with someone, and said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about doing this when this time comes,’” he said. “I just started listening to people about the issues that are going on, where they see strengths and weaknesses, and I think I have a lot of good ideas and good direction because of that.”
In terms of budgeting, Brauer admits he doesn’t have a lot of experience, but said he has discussed it with other departments to determine what methods have worked well around the state and the Midwest.
Additionally, Brauer said he has invested a lot of time in reading and education, developing himself as a true leader.
“We’re all supposed to be together, so if we can all bring our ideas in and be open to those, I’ll listen to what anyone has to say,” he said.
Picknell said as undersheriff, he has been preparing for the position for the past 14 years through on-the-job experience, furthering his education relevant to the position and extensive involvement in all branches of the department.
Having served in law enforcement for 27 years, Picknell said his service on the front lines of the agency as a corrections officer, patrol deputy, special assignment detective and court security deputy is equally important.
“And I’ve constantly sought out other assignments during my time including dive team member, SWAT team negotiator, fire arms instructor and, as undersheriff, I supervise all of the divisions of the office through division commanders and provide administrative oversight for the dive team and the SWAT team,” he said. “I have extensive budgeting responsibilities, and, important to note, I perform the duties of sheriff in his absence, and I’ve done so over the past 14 years.
“Serving as a law enforcement officer requires a commitment to the community and the law and I’ve dedicated my career to making Walworth County a safer and better place. Based on my experiences, my dedication and my education, I believe I really have deliberately prepared to effectively lead the office as sheriff.”
Budget
In terms of future budgeting, Brauer said the department needs to look at is existing infrastructure, such as the Huber facility. He said the sheriff’s office needs to determine what to do with the building such as using it as a juvenile facility or potentially housing for sexual offenders.
“We need to decide what we’re going to do with that building and what it’s going to cost because when we built it … within two years we had everyone out on electronic monitoring, now it’s vacant,” he said.
Brauer said the department is paying a lot of overtime to its employees. He said the overtime budget for corrections in 2014 was essentially burnt up by March due to short staffing.
“We need to be able to get the staff in there and retain staff to cut back on overtime,” he said.
He said budgets will have to be examined to determine whether hiring more employees with pay and benefits is more costly than paying existing employees overtime, but said the county is burning out employees because of the high number of hours they’re working.
“So, they’re great employees and all of a sudden they’re going, ‘I can’t do this anymore because it’s affecting my family life,’” he said.
In terms of costs savings, Brauer said the department needs to cut back on some of its frivolous spending, noting a recent purchase of a new truck.
“When they got it, they said they put the wrong rims and tires on there,” he said. “So then they went out and spent $3,600 to put new rims and tires on this truck…I mean, it looks cool, but it’s wasteful spending.
“Do we really need 50-, 60-inch televisions in conference rooms that rarely get used just because we have the money?”
Brauer also said a computerized records management system the department installed in 2008 still isn’t fully operational and has issues.
“Granted, I know those programs cost a lot of money, but the time and effort we put into that when you look at the man-hours, pulling deputies offline or from patrol to work on these computer systems, we’re well over $2 million into this system and its 2014 and it’s still not where it should be or where we need it to be,” he said.
Brauer said in terms of revenue, the department needs to begin looking at other options, noting Alpine Valley Music Theatre has been a source in the past though the few number of concerts this year has affected revenues. He said the department needs to get away from simply writing citations as a means of revenue due to the negative image it portrays to the public.
“I think we need to get away from that and go back to the old serve and protect,” he said. “That’s what the Sheriff’s Department was initially designed for when the Constitution was enacted – to serve and protect, not only from criminals, but the federal government.
“We need to look at those types of things and getting back to what we really need to be doing in cost savings.”
Additionally, he said, he’d like to look into the possibility of take-home squads for deputies rather than auctioning squad cars off every year and purchasing new ones. While he admits the initial cost can be high, by phasing it in, the department could save money in the long run.
“You cut down the mileage on the cars, the guys and girls take care of the cars because it’s their car, the people in neighborhoods like to see it because it gives more of a visual presence,” he said. “That cost savings in the long term will be huge for us.”
Additionally, he said it would cut down on response time from the department during shift changes as deputies could leave straight from home.
Brauer said it’s something he’s seen in other departments and with the size of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department falling in about the mid-range, it’s something he views as feasible.
“Some of our administration have gone to staff and command school and when they have to do their paper, I know multiple people have written on the idea of take-home squads. How would it look, what it is the cost breakdown for your department, and long term, it benefits the departments,” he said.
“I know when you present it, that initial outlay, people are going to look at it and say, ‘Well, we can’t do that,’ but it’s a long-term investment.”
Brauer said, if elected, he would involve other employees in the budgeting process to help them gain experience, as it’s something employees don’t often get unless they’re promoted.
Picknell said he and Graves have worked together on the department’s budget over the past 14 years and have always been good stewards to the taxpayers in funding services.
“We’ve delivered a long list of services county-wide with a balanced budget for each and every one of those years,” he said.
He said graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on public administration in 2011 has provided him with additional experience when it comes to preparing a $24.8 million budget.
“With my education and experience, I intend to continue the approach of working with courts, the district attorney and the County Board, carefully balancing the budget to protect the citizens and manage costs,” he said.
Picknell said he’s also well versed in reviewing future needs and opportunities while planning for each year’s budget – a sequence he said administration goes through each year that allows the department to operate within its established budget and stay balanced.
Additionally, Picknell said, the county’s Huber dorm has been re-purposed to offset what would have been a $10 million jail expansion. He said the facility has served its due overall in terms of saving money and efficiency as well as existing expansion within the building.
“So, that’s very fiscally responsible,” he said.
Anticipating any growth from Huber or jail inmates, he said the county now has the ability to handle them with the facility as it stands.
Working with the county
Brauer said in looking at county programs, he said he thinks they need to look more at the participants, noting whether they are first-time offenders, or have been through the program multiple times.
“You want as many people into the program that can qualify, you want to help as many as you can, but I think you really need to look at each individual and their background because everybody’s different,” he said.
On this note, he said if the department is going to work with the criminal justice system to provide these kinds of programs the best they can, they’ll need the funding to do it.
Brauer said it’s important for the sheriff to educate County Board members on the importance of programs such as the drug treatment court.
“So when you go to the committees and the County Board, you say, if we’re going to make this work, we need X number of dollars. Are you on board with this?” he said. “You want to make sure you’re not doing a program 50 percent. You want to do it 100 percent or it’s probably going to fail.”
In looking for funding for these programs, he said it’s important to educate board and committee members further on why they need the funding and how it well help move the program forward and combat the issue it’s intended to.
“When we go to the committees, the judges and the district attorney, everyone has to be on board and understand what the true mission is here… We have to have the financial backing,” he said.
Additionally, with these programs, he said county officials and board members need to work together to determine how repeat offenders will be handled in these programs so they don’t become a revolving door type of situation, something he said has seen with drunken drivers.
“At some point you have to take the hard line and say unfortunately jail’s the only place for them, to keep everyone else safe and keep them off the roads, keep them (from) doing the drugs, they’ve got to be in jail. It’s not the answer to every thing, but it’s unfortunately the answer for some people.”
Picknell said cooperation with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, which includes representation from the County Board and County Administrator David Bretl, has been instrumental in getting programs like the drug and OWI courts into place and he fully supports the committee’s efforts. “It’s very enlightening because you have all of the different participants from the justice system there,” he said. “From there, great conversations and great planning and decision-making occurs throughout the entire system, and from that you’re seeing targeted outcomes and efficiencies.”
Picknell said the County Board has fully supported the committee’s efforts through funding and participation.
Picknell said as undersheriff, he has worked with the County Board and has built an excellent relationship with the board.
“Providing professional law enforcement services county-wide will always be the point of mutual understanding between myself and the County Board,” he said.
With endorsements from members of the County Board, he said he aims to continue the efficient working relationship that benefits the public he serves.
Transparency
Brauer said that initially the department needs to engage in more communication with local communities, even if it’s as simple as a free Twitter account or social media page to get information out in the event of emergencies, weather events or, in the worst case, a loose fugitive.
Though home phone alerts are still in place, Brauer said many people are carrying smart phones these days, which could give residents a more direct and immediate notification.
Additionally, Brauer said having town hall type meetings would allow the department to receive better feedback from the people it serves.
“Maybe we need to have the sheriff, the undersheriff and even captains show up and if there’s concerns, or even credit that wants to be given to the department, that’s a good place to do it,” he said. “This way the public knows what we’re doing and why we’re doing it and the public can give us feedback.”
Brauer said while there are things the department can’t release at times in risk of jeopardizing an investigation, he said instead of saying “I can’t comment on that,” it’s important to let the public know what it can as soon as it can so the public doesn’t begin to view the department as secretive.
“That’s what creates that negative image for us,” he said. “There’s that love-hate relationship for law enforcement and that grey area seems to be disappearing. If we can allow the public to see inside, understand why we do what we do, the next time something occurs and we react a certain way, someone with the knowledge can say, ‘No, this is why they do what they do. They told me this is what’s going on,’ instead of going, ‘Well, they’re just trying to cover up stuff.’”
Brauer further noted the importance of bringing back community outreach programs like the citizens academy, programs that will educate the community not only on what the department does, but also how to further protect themselves.
He said the department also needs to involve the community more in protecting itself, sending out alerts to watch for suspicious vehicles or individuals.
“We try to be everywhere, but we can’t, but the people who live in these neighborhoods are,” he said. “They know the vehicles that are supposed to be there, they see the people walking down the street. If they see someone walking down the street they don’t know and they call us, now they feel like a part of the solution.”
Brauer said having this type of information can help generate leads when situations like break-ins come up, noting a previous situation where citizens had reported suspicious activity that led to an arrest related to multiple area break-ins.
Internally, Brauer said the department needs to work on its communications between employees so they’re always up to date on what’s going on in the community. Being aware of situations internally will also allow the department to further notify the public, he said.
“Going back to that, getting the community involved, it helps, it’s only for the betterment of everybody,” he said. “If we know what’s going on internally, we can present it better to what’s going on externally.”
Additionally, Brauer said the department is fractured and there’s little unity between corrections, deputies and dispatch. By better informing employees of happening at the county government level, Brauer said he can begin to reunite the various divisions.
“If we can say these are the things that are affecting you guys, we need a show of support that yes, this is good, show up at these meetings,” he said. “Someone that wants to truly lead the office, takes that initiative and says, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on, let’s get everyone up there that we can because I’m on your side.’
While state statute requires open government in terms of releasing information to the public, Picknell said agencies must apply a balancing test to determine what information may be released and when it may be released, noting the discovery of two suitcases containing bodies in June as an example.
Picknell said withholding information in these types of cases can serve as an investigative strategy to produce more leads early on in the investigation.
“But when it is time for that information to be released, it is released,” he said.
Additionally, Picknell said, being imbedded in the community through other activities is key for community involvement, noting his seat as the president of the Elkhorn Area High School Scholarship Association, his involvement with the Special Olympics and other law enforcement-related events.
“We’re employees at the sheriff’s office, but we’re also active in the communities so that becomes a natural connection point for the public,” he said.
Picknell said the department also holds many events, such as talks and demonstrations, and partners with other agencies to heighten the awareness of what the sheriff’s department is and does.
“Communications is very important and it can always be improved for our organization,” he said.
Picknell said these programs, such as the deputy-town liasions, help to disseminate information and gather feedback about how they deliver services in the county.
Picknell said internally he coordinates a weekly command-staff meeting to share information within the department’s operations.
“Within the department, we have and continue open dialogues both formally and informally with employees and the public,” he said. “Within the divisions, there are shift briefings and informal meetings that are always ongoing and occurring.
“It’s very important to continue on with those efforts for the public.”
Looking toward the future, Picknell said he thinks the most important thing for the organization is to actively listen to and hear suggestions that come in.
“From that, really laying out what are our most effective ways to improve both communication and dialogue with the citizens that we serve,” he said.
Time for a shake-up?
Brauer said he feels it’s time for a shake-up at the sheriff’s office, noting that there are a lot of great people working for the office and he doesn’t mean this in a sense of removing employees.
“When I say shake up, there needs to be a little bit of rearranging,” he said.
Brauer said as an example, the department has a lot of captains, a level of supervision he feels some divisions don’t actually need.
“Instead of having all these captains that are basically Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., we need to have another level of supervision where on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, you’re going to have a sergeant, but also a lieutenant.”
Brauer said this can lead to cost savings within the department while also freeing up employees to get back on the road and better serve and protect the community. As an example, he said the department doesn’t necessarily need captains in the central records and dispatch offices.
“You can say, ‘No, let’s encompass it under patrol, have a captain in patrol,’” he said. “Yeah, they’re going to take on a little more responsibility, but it’s not so great that you’re going to be so swamped with work that we need to have all these layers of captains everywhere.”
Shifting responsibilities would clean up the organization and also offer qualified individuals opportunities for promotions, which he said could immediately relieve overtime problems.
“So, when I say shake up, it’s not like I’m trying to get rid of people,” he said. “It’s just become stale with everyone being in their positions for so long.
Brauer said employees have become frustrated with the status quo because of how things have been done in the past, and this “shake-up” could be just what employees need to revitalize their morale.
Picknell said the sheriff’s office runs well and he doesn’t see a need for wholesale changes as the public recognizes the men and women of the sheriff’s office, who, in conjunction with local law enforcement, do a good job of keeping the public safe.
However, he said during his tenure as undersheriff, he’s never lost sight of the fact that for a good organization to stay relevant and effective, it needs to continually self-monitor what it does and the products or services it produces.
“The public safety and services we produce are certainly something that are always subject to review and modification,” he said. “That can be done by community’s expectations, changes in state law, any relevant court cases from the Supreme Court…a lot of these things continually effect our change and it’s how you embrace those changes that keeps you a very effective and professional law enforcement agency.
“When you’re doing it, you’re doing it in a purposeful and goal-oriented way.”
Candidate biographies
Kurt Picknell
Address: 263 Westward Dr., Elkhorn.
Age: 50
Occupation: Walworth County undersheriff
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Management and Master’s of Business Administration, with and emphasis in public administration, from Concordia University; School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University; FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
Law enforcement experience: Town of Delavan Police department; Geneva Lake law enforcement agency; corrections officer; Town of East Troy Police Department; Sheriffs Deputy; Promotions to Sergeant, Lieutenant and Undersheriff.
Organizations: Elkhorn Area High School Scholarship Foundation; Special Olympics.
Family: Wife, Cathy; Two adult children, Zachary and Irina
Ken Brauer
Address: 7768 Laura Ln., Elkhorn.
Age: 42
Occupation: Walworth County sheriff’s deputy
Education: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Law enforcement experience: Sheriff’s deputy; Walworth County SWAT Team, presently; Court services; Walworth County Drug unit;
Organizations: Concerns of Police Survivors Volunteer/Mentor C.O.P.S Kids Camp; former Mentor Big Brother/Big Sisters of Walworth County; youth soccer, baseball, softball, basketball coach; Wisconsin Association of SWAT Personnel; National Tactical Officers Association; Illinois Tactical Officers Associaton.
Family: Wife, Mary; three children, Ben, 12, Katie, 10, and Molly, 7
