Officer of the Year Plays Influential Role for New Cops

Waukesha Police Officer Jeffrey Hennen was on patrol when he spotted three kids playing basketball by themselves.  No parents were around to play with them, no dads teaching them how to shoot baskets.

Hennen, a training officer, walked over to them with his trainee. They shot baskets with the kids for a few minutes before Hennen glanced over at their backpacks.

“Did you get your homework done?” Hennen asked them. “When are you going home to eat?”

That moment made an impression on his trainee, now Deputy Police Dennis Angle, who told the story during the Waukesha Optimist Club’s Respect for Law Program on Wednesday. Hennen was honored at the Waukesha police officer of the year during the ceremony.

“Jeff knew what community policing was before it became in vogue or a big deal,” Angle said. “Taking the time to influence these kids – that is community policing.”

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Henne’s made a big impact on the Waukesha Police Department as his time working as a field training officer, Angle said. Several members in the department’s command staff were trained by Hennen.

“We are bringing one of our best officers, if not the best officer ever to serve in our organization,” Angle said. “It is a constant theme with anybody who has been on shift with him, anybody who has supervised a shift with him. He is by definition the top cop – it is not the chief, it is not the deputy chief. … He took the single most important influential role on his shoulder, and that is the role of field training officer.” 

Waukesha County deputies Mike Doud, Robert Faith and Juan Rodriguez were also honored at the ceremony.

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