Waukesha Man Saves Woman from Possible Sexual Assault

Gabriel Granados-Saucedo was recently recognized for his actions when he found a man hurting a woman following a night of St. Patrick's Day drinking.

Gabriel Granados-Saucedo was walking home from a late night at the bars after St. Patrick’s Day when he saw them near his house — a woman laying on her stomach with a man on top of her, holding onto her arms. "Help me," the woman called out. Granados-Saucedo pulled the man off the woman. The man angrily told him "this isn’t your house." "If you call the cops, I will kill your entire family," the man yelled at Grandos-Saucedo while pulling up his pants' zipper. Granados-Saucedo, of Waukesha, was sent a letter of commendation by Police Chief Russell Jack last week for his work in capturing a sexual assault suspect last March. Granados-Saucedo helped identify Raul Martinez Lopez as the man he pulled off of a woman being attacked in the 400 …

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School Resource Officers Could Cost District More

The City of Waukesha is asking the School District of Waukesha to pay up to 30 percent of the costs to run the school resource program at the three high schools.

The School District of Waukesha could chip in more for the school resource officer program during the next four years. The program is in partnership with the Waukesha Police Department and cost about $300,000 each year. Previous contracts called for the school district to pitch in $60,000 of that costs. However, the new four-year contract calls for the school district to pay $75,000 annually in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years and $90,000 annually for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. “It has been seven years since the district’s share has increased; yet, the share borne by the police department increases annually based on inflation and bargained agreements,” Police Chief Russell Jack said in a letter to Superintendent Todd Gray. …

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Video: Mayor Shakes His Hips During Harlem Ambassadors Game

Plus, check out these photos from the Waukesha Wonders vs. Harlem Ambassadors basketball game at Waukesha South High School.

The Waukesha Wonders didn't stand a chance. Even with Coach Carol Lombardi leading them at Waukesha South High School, the Waukesha Wonders – filled with local celebrities and officials like Police Chief Russell Jack, Acting Fire Chief Steve Howard, Waukesha North Principal Jody Landish, Waukesha South Principal Timothy Joynt and Superintendent Todd Gray – couldn't pull off a win in the charity basketball game that benefited Project Graduation. The Waukesha Wonders were defeated by the Harlem Ambassadors 37-80. In addition to being a fundraiser, the Harlem Ambassadors encouraged kids at the game to work hard in school to be successful in their adult life.

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Waukesha's Top Drug Cop Leaves Department

David Janisch worked undercover for more than two decades and leaves behind a legacy.

Detective Dave Janisch had plenty of “uh oh” moments during his storied career working undercover drug investigations. There’s been dangerous moment when the only reason he wasn’t shot was because the person holding the gun was actually his informant. There’s been drug deals involving gunfire. Other drug deals had radio equipment failures causing others to miss his signal to come in for an arrest. And then there was that day a woman told him she couldn’t sell to him because she knew who he was ­– a detective with the Waukesha Police Department. “She still sold to him,” said Police Chief Russell Jack, chuckling. “He is so good at his job, he closed the deal and she still sold for a couple hundred bucks.” After working more than two decades …

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Attorney General Announces Crime Alert Network Program at Waukesha Store

Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack gives support to notification efforts being coordinated at the state level.

A new program will allow community members, businesses and other organizations to receive up to date notifications about crime trends in their area and suspect descriptions in an effort to increase citizen participation with local law enforcement in solving crimes, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced during a news conference Tuesday morning at Farm and Fleet in Waukesha. “Law enforcement – this is their tool,” Van Hollen said. “We are just providing it to them and making sure that we run it. We are making sure that we make it useful by having other law enforcement agencies, individuals and businesses who receive the alerts. They will be the ones to decide and to use their description in what goes out to whom and what they do with …

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Downtown Business Owners to Learn About Concealed Carry Law

Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack leading listening session on new law.

As Wisconsin’s new law allowing for concealed carry permits goes into affect on Tuesday, Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack will be holding a listening session on the law at 9 a.m. Tuesday at The Rotunda. Members of the Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors may be at the listening session as it is a partnership between the BID and the police chief. People can begin applying for permits for concealed carry on Tuesday. All people who receive a permit must have proof of firearms training, be 21 years old, be a Wisconsin resident and not have weapon restrictions based on federal and state laws (such as being a felon) or as a condition of bail. The Wisconsin Department of Justice has issued a document about concealed carry …

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Waukesha Police Officer Receives Commendation Letter

Chris Massa honored by police chief for work to catch a scrap metal thieves.

An officer with the Waukesha Police Department was recently honored with a Letter of Commendation by Police Chief Russell Jack for his outstanding work to catch scrap metal thieves. Officer Chris Massa was presented the following letter from Chief Jack Wednesday night: In the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2011, you were conducting surveillance of two vehicles at a residence believed to be involved in scrap metal thefts. You observed two subjects leave the residence in a truck and believed they were intentionally trying to lose you. Suspecting they were responsible for a rash of scrap metal thefts, you returned to the residence in an unmarked squad and waited for the suspects to return. A short time later, the suspects returned and …

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Bilingual Citizens Academy Receives State Recognition

Waukesha Police Department’s outreach to Hispanic community brings award to city.

The Waukesha Police Department’s Bilingual Citizens Police Academy has received the attention from a state law enforcement organization. The Waukesha Police Department received the Program of the Year 2011 from the Wisconsin Crime Prevention Practitioners Association, according to a memo from Police Chief Russell Jack to the Waukesha Police & Fire Commission. The police department has conducted two Spanish-speaking courses over a period of four weeks to allow the Hispanic community to learn more about the law enforcement in the city. “The purpose of the academy is to further promoted positive relations with the Hispanic community the city of Waukesha,” Jack said in the memo. The city’s partners in the program are La Casa de Esperanza and …

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Back to School

School Resource Officers' Job Not Just Citing Kids

Collaboration between Waukesha School District and Waukesha Police Department to bring cops in schools starts its 10th year.

An honest teen made a big impression on Steve Guth, the school resource officer at Waukesha West High School, last school year when he did the right thing at a school dance. The teen found a $100 bill laying on the floor and picked it up. Instead of pocketing the money, he took it straight to the school resource officer and an assistant principal. “I just thought that was pretty cool,” Guth said. “Anybody can ask themselves what they would do if they found a $100 bill on the ground. He chose to turn it in." Guth is one of three school resource officers who are stationed in Waukesha public schools this year. The program is in its 10th school year after starting during the 2001-02 school year. Guth began as the school resource officer at …

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Randy1949

6:28 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012

"The teen found a $100 bill laying on the floor and picked it up. Instead of pocketing the money, he took it straight to the school resource officer and an assistant principal." That restores my faith in kids. However, the student did not find the money 'laying' on the floor. He found it lying on the floor. Proper conjugation of verbs is important at all times, but it is even more so in an …   more ›

Editor's Notebook

Waukesha Citizens Academy Week 1 - Department Introduction

What will I and 22 others learn about the Waukesha Police Department during this course?

And so it starts. Every Thursday night (except for next week – it’ll be Wednesday because of the Green Bay Packers game), I will be at the Waukesha Police Department for citizens academy where I and 22 other community members will be learning the ins and outs of the department’s operations. I first heard about citizens academy when a friend and fellow reporter took the class with the Whitewater Police Department. The many people I have worked with in this community have greatly encouraged me to join. When Sgt. John Konkol told me they changed the night to Thursday nights this year, I said “Great! I am in!” The first class was pretty low key as the class participants were introduced to the department and we could ask Police Chief Russell …

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Barb V

3:56 pm on Friday, September 9, 2011

I was in the Menomonee Falls 2nd graduating class. What an awesome experience! (Wait til you get to shoot the Glock!) It really gives you an understanding of why the Police Departments do things the way they do it and a true appreciation of the dangerous work they do.   more ›