Injury in the line of duty is always a risk for law enforcement, but local officers are feeling it more frequently, according to Shawano Police Chief Mike Musolff.
Musolff told the Shawano Common Council on June 11 that there has been an increase in attacks on his officers. He noted that two of the officers are currently out of commission due to injuries.
“That’s getting to be quite alarming,” Musolff said.
A third officer was kicked by a suspect who was being taken into custody. A fourth officer fell and hurt his elbow while chasing a suspect.
“We do a lot of training to try to prevent these things, but we’re seeing an increase this spring and early summer in our officers being hurt because of the conduct of suspects,” Musolff said.
The injuries came from regular calls, but Musolff is also concerned about the safety of the public. He noted that the organizers of Sun Drop Dayz did not coordinate with the police department to make sure the event was safe.
“They’re not really asking for officers to be at that event, which was unfortunate,” Musolff said. “We did have officers go to the event, and they definitely saw an increase in activities that law enforcement needed to be there for, and I’m very concerned about that.”
One of the incidents included an 18-year-old event participant who had a fake gun.
Musolff said more needed to be done to work with law enforcement when events take place in the city.
Alderman Jim Hauer, who also works as a deputy for the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, suggested making security a requirement for anyone wanting to hold an event in the city. Musolff said he and City Administrator Eddie Sheppard have been discussing the matter and are working on safety protocols.
Alderman Kevin Barkow was dismayed that Sun Drop Dayz did not coordinate with the city to make sure safety of event participants was a top priority.
“I know that, when I was on the board for Sun Drop Dayz, we always worked closely with the PD (police department) to make sure we had emergency plans in place,” Barkow said.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
Injuries, public safety concern police chief
