Problems at Pond Park accelerating

More police presence or removing the basketball courts are options
By: 
Miriam Nelson
Enterprise and News Reporter

A group of area residents complaining about noise and foul language at the Pond Park basketball court brought their concerns to the Wittenberg Village Board meeting May 20.

Randy and Jackie Berndt, who two weeks ago asked the village to investigate forming its own police department, attended the meeting with a half dozen of their neighbors.

Randy Berndt complained that youngsters are playing basketball long after the court’s closing time, playing loud music and using obscene language. The basketball court closes at 9 p.m., curfew is at 10 p.m., and the park closes at 11 p.m.

The number of children causing the trouble varies, but there have been as many as 16 there at night, according to Berndt. He noted that it’s mostly fourth- through seventh-graders.

“I’ve been there seven years and it has escalated,” Berndt said.

Berndt teaches in the school district and knows most of the children, he said. On several occasions, he has talked with them, and when they don’t leave, he calls the police. The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department cannot ticket the kids because there are no fines connected with the appropriate village ordinances.

Trustee Dave Timm said Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District Superintendent Garrett Rogowski told him the kids were welcome to use the high school’s outdoor courts, which are well-lit and have security cameras.

The security cameras at Pond Park don’t reach the basketball courts, and there is no safe place to install one, Village President William Switalla he said.

Berndt would like a new court built in Washington Park, away from any residential area. Trustee Paul Yaeger said he would explore the cost of building a court but cautioned that it’s unclear how soon the village could fit it into the budget.

Meanwhile, Switalla will ask the sheriff’s department to increase patrols in Pond Park between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the village board will start the process of assessing fines to the ordinances. If the problem persists, the basketball court will be removed, even if a new one is not built in Washington Park, trustees warned.

The village pays $75 per hour for 40 hours per month, about $36,000 per year, for patrol service from the sheriff’s department. There is a office and computer at the community center for the officers.

Traci Matsche, village clerk/treasurer, said Chief Deputy George Lenzner indicated he would be willing to discuss options for increased police presence with the village.

Lenzner told Matsche it would cost approximately $150,000 to $200,000 per year, which would include salary and benefits, to assigned a dedicated officer from the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department to Wittenberg.

To start a village police department would cost about $300,000 the first year, which includes buying a cruiser and equipment, and about $200,000 per year after that. The biggest expense would be installing a digital storage unit and evidence locker on-site, Lenzner said.

“By having our own police officer, that person would be responsible for all the processing and court appearance time, which would cut into patrol time, which is what we want more of,” Yaeger said.

Switalla noted the village would also have the additional headache of dealing with personnel issues.