Law Enforcement – Jan. 27

As a candidate for City Council, I need to share some thoughts about law enforcement.

City Budget

I have looked at the city budget.  Public Safety is a large operation. Public Safety takes up 53% of year 2022 general fund and special revenue fund expenditures.   The 2022 general fund budget numbers are $12,294,104 for police and $10,126,597 for fire/rescue.     As part of the Public Safety Referendum passed last year, $1,137,590 of the approved city tax levy increase was  added within the general fund to hire and equip 6 firefighter/paramedics and 6 police officers.  Public safety includes police, fire and rescue this post is mainly about the police.  

Danger

Law enforcement is extremely dangerous work, as we all know. We have lost three young officers in Fond du Lac in just the last 11 years, all as stated in public news reports and noted here.  These are heroes, young people we can’t afford to lose,  who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

On  March 20, 2011, 28-year-old officer Craig Birkholz was shot and killed after he and other officers responded to a sexual assault complaint.

On March 24, 2015,   Wisconsin State Patrol trooper Trevor Casper, of Kiel,  age 21, was shot and killed by a bank robber-murder suspect in an exchange of gunfire just south of Johnson Street in Fond du Lac near Highway 41.

Joseph Kurer, age 26, a Fond du Lac police officer and member of the Wisconsin National Guard, tragically passed away on September 22, 2021, a death considered in the line of duty, due to COVID-19 complications.   Officer Kurer died just a day after his second child was born.

Fond du Lac’s location along Highway 41 creates extra dangers in our city from drug sellers.  In 2020, alcohol deaths (including deaths from accidents, poisoning, falls, illness, suicide and violence) went up by a shocking 25%. These dangers put added pressure on our police, fire and rescue services. 

As I think about these three heroes, and all who have died,  I say, Never Forget! 

Where I Stand

Why am I posting this kind of  information, which should already be known by all, on a website for a City Council candidate?    I post it to let the public know that I understand expense side of public safety – the city’s largest budget category.    It is the job of the City Council to watch how funds are spent, to protect the taxpayer.

But I support the police.   I don’t know that Police Chief Aaron Goldstein needs political candidates to make specific suggestions, which might make no sense to a police professional working on the ground.   My aim would be to let  the Chief and everyone in the Police Department know that as a Council Member I would offer my support and look to see how the City Council can be helpful to them. 

And, Chief Goldstein’s excellent community outreach work with the youth should continue.   These are dangerous days when police work includes  “prevention” of trouble before it arises.   That’s what community outreach is all about.   

* Source:  Alcohol and drug-induced deaths on the rise in Wisconsin https://www.wqow.com/news/alcohol-and-drug-induced-deaths-on-the-rise-in-wisconsin/article_8614df38-74b3-11ec-8fc0-2bad36eacb3e.html#:~:text=%28WQOW%29%20-%20Newly%20released%20data%20is%20showing%20that,deaths%20in%202019%20to%201%2C077%20deaths%20in%2020

City Budget:  Online at: https://www.fdl.wi.gov/administration/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/01/2022-Adopted-Budget.pdf