Crime & Safety

Deputy Police Chief Retirement Marks End of an Era

Mark Stigler honored Wednesday before leaving the Waukesha Police Department.

When Deputy Police Chief Mark Stigler retired from the police department Wednesday, it marked an end of the era – and not just Stigler’s storied 29-year career at the department.

The Stigler family has 80 years of combined service at the and there has been a member of the family employed at the department since 1956.

“That string comes to an end,” Stigler said during his retirement ceremony Wednesday morning where was supported by his wife, children and parents – including his father, former Waukesha Police Chief Thomas Stigler.

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“Mark always had the moral courage to do the right thing at the right time no matter how difficult it was,” said Police Chief Russell Jack. “It will require a great deal of additional teamwork to compensate from such an influential person when he leaves the Waukesha Police Department today.”

Stigler was hired at the Waukesha Police Department in 1982. He was promoted to detective in 1991 and to sergeant in 1999. The promotion from detective to sergeant was the first in the department’s history, which brought a little apprehension to some officers working in the patrol division at that time.

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Deputy Police Chief Dennis Angle said he was in patrol when Stigler was moved to patrol in 1999. The general feeling at the time was “Why did you give us this guy?” because Stigler had been in plainclothes for years. The officers soon learned that Stigler became the perfect mentor for the young officers.

Jack said that every officer in the department has been mentored in some way by Stigler.

“He started mentoring me on the first day that I came to the department,” the police chief said.

Stigler didn’t stay at sergeant, though. He was promoted to a lieutenant in 2002, captain in 2006 and finally, to what Chief Jack called his “most trusted position,”  promoted to deputy chief in 2010.

Angle was promoted to deputy chief in a ceremony at the police department last week.

“I really know what its like to be Aaron Rodgers,” Angle joked about following in the footsteps of a legend. Only this time around, Stigler was the mentor who taught his successor – unlike former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

Waukesha Patch caught up with Stigler and asked him about his retirement and career at the Waukesha Police Department.

Here are the questions and Stigler’s e-mailed responses.

When did you start in Waukesha? Why did you become a police officer?

I feel I have been part of the Waukesha police family since I was born because my father was a cop here as I grew up. I went to police department parties, functions and events and hung out with other cop’s kids and other cop families.  When I was six years old, I was even part of a Women’s Police Auxiliary float on behalf of the police department in a Christmas parade back in the mid-1960s. I have always felt I was part of this organization, and I hope I always will. 

Public service is important to my family. From my days in the Boys Scouts here in Waukesha to my service in the U.S. Army to joining the Waukesha Police Department over 29 years ago; serving the community has always been part of my life. Between my father (retired Waukesha Police Chief), my brother Brian (former Waukesha police-fire dispatcher), my wife Sherri (former Waukesha police-fire dispatcher) and me, we have over 80 years of combined service at the City of Waukesha Police Department. I am proud of the fact that there has been a Stigler employed at the Waukesha Police Department since 1956. I even had a Great Uncle (Andrew Stigler) who served on the Waukesha Fire Department with his friend Pete Wilde from 1904 until he died in 1907.

Law enforcement runs deep in my family. In addition to my Dad and me, my wife Sherri was a police officer (now Waukesha County Communications manager), my brother Tom is a homicide lieutenant in the Milwaukee Police Department (his wife was also an MPD motorcycle officer) and my niece Angie, is a police officer in Muskego as is her husband. I guess you can say law enforcement is in our blood.

But as far as my service goes at the Waukesha Police Department, I am just a product of those many great patrol officers, veteran detectives, supervisors and chiefs who have helped me grow and learn and at times, have reigned me in. Without them, I would not have succeeded. I will always be indebted to them for taking the time to mentor me and show me a strategic vision of public safety. I have tried to live up to their expectations and pass that vision along to the next generation of officers in order to keep our city one of the safest in the state. The police department’s mission has always been to ensure the safety of our community, no matter the threat or hazard. I have been just a small part of a larger team that met that goal during my time here. After I retire, I will still live here with my family so I have a vested interest in seeing that the city continues to be a safe place for generations to come.

What did you do as department historian?

Unearthing, finding and documenting police department history has always been important to me. All 484 men and women who have served at the Police Department since 1896 have risked their lives and dedicated themselves during their careers to protecting and serving our city and that service must not be forgotten. Two of those officers even paid the ultimate price while protecting our community. I have always felt their stories must be documented and told. The trials, tribulations, successes and failures must be recorded so that lessons learned can be passed on to those that come after us.  Documenting and recounting our history has been an important part of the success of the agency. 

Why are you retiring?

Every day you wake up is another chance to make a difference in the world. I know that sounds trite, but it is true. Life is a gift and we all must take full advantage of every minute we have on this earth because we don’t know when it will end. I want to serve the community in other ways by using and passing on what I have learned in criminal justice and homeland security. Retiring was not an easy decision because I love the police department, but I still have other dreams to chase, hills to climb and challenges to meet.  I have now realized it takes a lot of courage to leave what you know and leap into the next episode in your life but I know the Lord is leading me that way. This is just a new chapter for me, not the end of the book.

What do you plan on doing after retirement?

I have a lot of gas left in my tank, but first, I will take a month off to relax before I charge ahead into my new life. I hope in the future to build on my criminal justice and homeland security training and experience by teaching and working with other people and organizations. I have always had a passion for writing, so I will be authoring a couple of more books as well.

What will you miss most about working for the Waukesha Police Department?

I will miss the relationships with the people. Being a cop, whether you are walking the beat or sitting in an office talking to other city departments or aldermen, you are required to develop and maintain positive relationships with those around you in order to get the job done, and the job always revolves around fixing problems. This is a challenge because most of what public safety professionals deal with is negative in nature. Success in any call a patrol officer handles or on any assignment depends upon the officer’s ability to use the power of his/her personality to positively guide and influence the world around them to solve problems. I will miss that too.

What were some of the more challenging parts of your career?

I have been entrusted with six different ranks at the Police Department over the last 29 years and each one was a new challenge.  I have tried my best to build upon the gains and successes of those officers who came before me in each of those positions by hopefully leaving them a little better than when I came into them. Learning and adapting to all of these different positions and shifts was a great challenge - but one I relished. Believe me, I was never bored! I was definitely challenged adjusting my sleep the older I got when I was assigned to work the late shift (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) three different times in my career; as a patrol officer, a sergeant and a lieutenant.

Another challenge for me and as well as for other tenured officers is that as a cop, you see first-hand the worst our society can dish out - man’s inhumanity to his fellow man.  People don’t call the police when things are going well; they only call when they are in crisis.  But as a cop, you could never forget that the citizen you are talking with may be a first-time caller and has never had contact with the police before. Not developing a cynical outlook and never prejudging people you meet for the first time is a challenge.

What were some of the most memorable parts?

The most memorable times for me were when we had a chance to step directly into a situation and act as that “thin blue line” between good and evil, standing up for those who can’t. The satisfaction I take away from my career is that thanks to the efforts of the current and former generations of officers; families young and old, kids of all ages can walk through their neighborhoods in this town any time of day without the fear of crime, just as it was when I was a kid here. Not many cities can say that.

What were some of the most bizarre incidents?

Cops see many bizarre things in their careers that leave an indelible impression on their mind. A couple of mine were digging up a person who had been dead seven years, intervening in a brutal axe attack on a couple and sadly pulling a drowned child from a dark pond.

What were some of the best parts of having a long-time career with the WPD?

Partnering and collaborating with the community to solve problems was a great part of my time as a cop.  It’s all about the people. I believe being a police officer is calling, a sacred trust that is not for everybody. I am very appreciative to the citizens of the City of Waukesha for allowing me to be part of this police department.

I am also very grateful that I got to live a small-town part of the story line of Joseph Wambaugh’s book; The Blue Knight. The hero in that book was a cop named Bumper Morgan who knew every store owner and resident on his beat and constantly twirled his wooden baton as he walked his streets. He stood up for the weak, struck fear into the hearts of thugs, earned respect and always saw that justice was done. As a rookie officer I tried to emulate his best attributes as I too walked the beat in downtown Waukesha - twirling my wooden baton.


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