By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
The Village of Sharon voted at its Monday night meeting in favor of a resolution entering the Village of Sharon Police Department into a mutual aid agreement.
SMART – Suburban Mutual Assistance Response Teams – is a program allowing law enforcement areas to request assistance from multiple agencies at once, receiving up to 40 additional officers.
Prevalent in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties, Village of Sharon Police Chief Brad Buchholz said he first heard about it was when Chief Robert Rosch, who is the head of the SMART program and Chief of Police in Hartland, gave a presentation to Walworth County police agencies in June.
According to Buccholz, Walworth County police agencies have been venturing for the program for many years.
“Now, it can come to fruition,” he said.
At Monday’s meeting, Christensen said the program is working its way south and looking to expand its territory into Walworth County. Many of the agencies in Walworth County, including Elkhorn, East Troy and the Sheriff’s Department, are participating in the program.
At the cost of a $100, one-time registration fee, the Village of Sharon would be provided with additional support during law enforcement emergencies and would provide officers to other SMART agencies in the event of a law enforcement emergency in that jurisdiction.
Buccholz said this is a benefit for the Sharon community partly due to it’s location.
“We are a department that’s out in the farthest reaches of the county,” he said.
In addition, he said with the budget and what the department might need in critical incidents, they would need outside agencies assistance in the event of catastrophic incidents, such as active shooter situation, flooding, and severe weather, something he hopes the department would never have to deal with.
“It just gives us the extra manpower, extra equipment that other agencies can provide us that we may not be able to achieve because we are a smaller agency,” he said.
Buccholz said under the agreement, the department fills out cards noting what resources they have available and can provide.
Assisting agencies would be called upon depending upon what level of an emergency it is and the area of the department, based upon the cards they fill out.
Under the Police Department’s Agreement to Effectuate the Mutual Aid Plan, it is made clear in the event Sharon was called for mutual aid it would be up to the commanding officer to determine whether or not the department is able to send available personnel and equipment. The department would not be required to send officers if those officers were needed in Sharon.
According to Buccholz, the board passed the resolution unanimously with little discussion.
Buccholz said several board members are involved with the fire department, which is already involved in a similar program, which he believed in part led to the board’s decision. In addition, he said it just makes sense.
“More is better,” he said. “If you can have more equipment available to you, I agree, it is a no-brainer.”
Buccholz said he appreciates the board’s understanding of the need for the assistance.
“With it being such a low cost to get involved, I’m happy the board passed it unanimously,” he said.
While he said the department hopes to never have to use it, it’s good to be prepared and have it in place in the chance that it is needed.
