News, Waterford

Police contract called into question again

By Dave Fidlin

Correspondent

For the second time in less than two months, a Village of Waterford resident and former elected official took to the podium and attempted to poke holes in the argument switching police agencies in January is a sound decision.

After months of review, the boards overseeing the village and town each signed an agreement that gives the town’s police force oversight of the village. The arrangement unwinds the village’s 35-year arrangement with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department, which has been policing the community.

On Monday, Gilbert Bakke, former Waterford Village Board member and former village president, addressed the board for the second time about his concerns with the new arrangement during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Bakke previously addressed the board June 22.

“As elected representatives of the Village of Waterford, your primary responsibility is the public safety of the community,” Bakke said to the board this week, reading from a prepared statement which he sent to the press.

He added, “There is no guarantee that the protection under the township contract will be equal to that which the village now enjoys with the sheriff’s department and has enjoyed for the past 35 years.”

Bakke’s concerns included a range of unknown costs associated with the new arrangement. The village will incur a number of start-up expenses in 2016, including hiring additional law enforcement personnel and purchasing a new squad car.

In the long run, board members in support of the switch have asserted long-term savings could be achieved.

Bakke said he does not buy in that argument.

“There will be unknown and unpredictable costs,” he said in this week’s address to the board. “To deal with the financial impacts of these issues, both treasurers of the village and township will have to determine the final costs each year and reach agreement.”

In a follow-up interview with the Post, Bakke said he also had concerns with the way the incumbent board handled the change. He said he wished the board would have taken extra steps to solicit feedback from the community.

“It’s been largely under the radar,” Bakke said. “They have really not made any serious effort to let the public know this is going on.”

Because of the nature of open meetings laws, the board did not directly address Bakke either time he commented. The topic of police services with the town was not on either meeting agenda.

On the village side of the agreement, officials voted 5-2 in favor of making the switch when the agreement was signed in June.

“This is the beginning of something that has been hanging out there for years,” Trustee Jerry Filut, a supporter, said at the time. “This could be the start of working together and consolidating services in a number of areas. I just think we have to look forward.”

But the sharply divided opinions caused one board member to resign not long after the final vote was taken.

Former Trustee Stephen Denman announced his intention to step down from the board June 15. His elected colleagues accepted the request a week later.

“In the past year, I have struggled with some of the financial decisions coming from this board,” Denman wrote in his resignation letter. I wish that I could make sense of it, but as much as I try, I cannot.”

One Comment

  1. My goodness.. people change is good! The mentality thinking of “its been this way for 40 yrs” needs to be changed!