WATERFORD — About 30 people packed into Waterford City Hall Wednesday night to learn about the issues plaguing the Waterford Police Department.

The department is currently understaffed and has been without a police chief since January, when the former chief retired early.

Previous Scope: Residents seek answers after Waterford police staff placed on administrative leave

Currently the Racine County Sheriff’s Office oversees the department. Mayor Teri Jendusa-Nicolai said the agreement is valid until the end of the year and could be terminated at any time.

At the meeting, Jendusa-Nicolai noted that four different investigations were conducted between May and October.

“It’s not something you want to know. It’s not something you want to think is really going on, and I hate to be the one to tell you that, but it’s the truth,” Jendusa-Nicolai said.

Mike Beiermeister

But he did share some examples of what he called “bad behavior.”

One example he highlighted was a call for a physical assault that went unanswered for eight minutes.

“We learned that not only was our officer sleeping, but he was also sleeping in a known sleeping area,” Jendusa-Nicolai said.

Another incident he mentioned involved a part-time officer leaving the command center during a critical incident towards the end of July. That officer later resigned.

Watch: Waterford Town Board calls out police department. issues carry the weight of participants

Waterford Town Board addresses policing issues, sparking disagreement among attendees

Other examples included a part-time officer not signing a department policy form even though he had several months to do so. There were also reports that officers did not follow up on complaints.

“I think it’s a little bit defamatory that the officers weren’t here to provide those details themselves,” said Linda Brand, a patrol officer with the Waterford Police Department.

Mike Beiermeister

He and others who attended the meeting took issue with some, or even all, of the statements made by the city board.

For example, Jendusa-Nicolai said the department does not have a Field Training Officer (FTO) manual and officers are not trained on the subject, which could lead to liability issues for the town.

“Most, if not all, of our officers have never received FTO training for our department. This is a problem,” Jendusa-Nicolai said.

Brand disagrees with this claim and says TMJ4 was trained. He also said part-timers have offered to help address the department’s staffing shortage.

“Allegations that FTO guidance was not provided and that part-time police officers were not given details and information on how they could assist us in this time of need are false,” Brand said.

One of the police officers who came under investigation and resigned was David Ferger.

He expressed concerns about the board’s handling of the police department.

“I think they have an agenda, and it’s clear that everyone who’s been investigated has either resigned, been terminated, or threatened termination, which will basically prevent you from working in this profession at all,” Ferger said.

Mike Beiermeister

Board members attributed the town’s struggle to hire a new police chief to being bogged down by investigations.

They also stated they could not discuss current Franklin Mayor John Nelson, who retired from the Waterford Police Department due to an administrative investigation.

No statement was made to the public at the meeting.

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