No Sirens Allowed: Waukesha Police/Fire Basketball Showdown Set for Friday

The third annual Police and Firefighter Basketball Challenge will begin with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Catholic Memorial High School

The third annual police and firefighter basketball challenge is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Catholic Memorial High School. The Waukesha Police Department won in 2011 and the Waukesha Fire Department took home the glory in 2012. Friday's game will be for pride, bragging rights and for a good cause. Proceeds from the event benefit the Special Olympics of Wisconsin, Camp Timberlee's burn victim camp and the Waukesha Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. Tickets are $5 at the door for adults, $3 for students and children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are $4. Tickets can be purchased at the Waukesha locations of Waukesha State Bank. For more information, call 414-254-5256.

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Police Department Honors Former Alumni Association President

Matt Jendrzejczyk donated time during his tenure as the president of the Waukesha Citizens Academy Alumni Association.

The Waukesha Police Department has built meaningful relationships with the alumni of its citizens academy classes, and among those alumni stands out Matt Jendrzejczyk. Jendrzejczyk was honored during the Waukesha Police Academy Alumni Associations’ meeting on Monday at the police station for his work as president of the association. Jendrzejczyk is no longer president and Sue Dregne has taken the post. Jendrzejczyk donated his spare time to work with the police department, according to Sgt. John Konkol. “He gave a lot of his free time,” Konkol said. “He was a big proponent of the officer appreciation luncheons, and he was really big with the Waukesha Night Out.” The alumni association builds a bridge between citizens and the police …

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Editor's Notebook

Waukesha Citizens Academy: It's Come to an End

But now I'm looking forward to graduation, continuing friendships and helping out the police department with fundraisers.

Graduation is next week, and I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed. The last few month, I’ve been at the Waukesha Police Department learning the ins and outs of the day-to-day operations of the department. Going into the class, I thought I’d know a lot since I’ve written about the police department for two years. I didn’t really know what to expect, kept an open mind and went to class. The last few months have been eye opening. I’ve looked forward to our Waukesha Citizens Police Academy class each week, and I've learned so much. The timing of classes couldn’t have been better for me. It was week two when my best friend of 10 years moved to Texas for a nursing job. I wouldn't have even moved to Waukesha if it hadn't been for her and …

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Editor's Notebook

Waukesha Citizens Academy: Learning the Ugly of the Job

When it comes to crimes against children and death investigations, these police officers have seen it all.

“It ain’t all fun and games folks.” Sgt. John Konkol told our Waukesha Citizens Academy that in between two disturbing sessions. Already having seen horrific images of children who have been subjected to the worst kind of abuse, I was relieved to see the next hand out was a quiz to find the matching fingerprints as our class learned the city’s evidence unit that documents every step of every case. A big job, and a job that would leave me with nightmares. Although Waukesha Police Department specialists Gary Kvasnica – the most tenured police officer on the force – and Dan Streicher told the class they leave work behind when they go home, I’d have to imagine it’s just not that easy. Beyond storing evidence, the evidence unit responds to …

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Editor's Notebook

Waukesha Citizens Academy: I Drove a Squad Car

Making traffic stops is not as easy as it looks.

For those of you who have been unfortunate enough to see my mean side, well, you know it is not too intimidating So when Police Officer Brad Becker told me I had to take charge of a traffic stop and deal with the suspect who was yelling at me and being a downright punk, it was not the easiest thing in the world.   By not the easiest thing in the world, I really mean I would make a horrible cop. I do believe at one point I held up my finger and gave a firm “No” to the obnoxious driver. Basically, I fell apart and would have had a big fat “F” if I was getting graded. A chaotic traffic stop. A jumpy “police officer” (that's me). A car full of people who at any point and time could pull out a weapon or run or punch me or who knows what. It’s a…

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Editor's Notebook

VIDEO: Waukesha Patch Editor Gets Tasered

And yes, it was painful as it sounds. But Sarah Millard also learned how to shoot a gun!

I now have something in common with that guy who gave police the slip because he was soapy from a recent shower. No, I wasn’t running through the neighborhoods naked... I was Tasered. I am the world’s biggest wimp when it comes to pain. Seriously. I stub my big toe, and it’s game over. So why on earth would I want to get Tasered? I’ve been a full-time reporter for more than three years. During the past three years, I’ve had officer after officer share how safe the Taser is and encourage me to be Tasered. In fact, Capt. Scott Luchterhand of the Manitowoc Police Department where I first covered police department news was disappointed that my boss gave me the thumbs down to experiencing the Taser. That was then. This is now. It’s been awhile …

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Denise Konkol

2:43 pm on Friday, October 21, 2011

My turn's coming, so I guess I will have to agree to be video'd for it. I'm the type of person who has to watch when I get a shot, but in this case, I'd prefer they just do it and not say 'taser, taser taser' to warn me.   more ›

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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Editor's Notebook

Citizens Academy Week 4: Tactical Unit

Waukesha’s elite team shows us how they are trained to shoot specialty guns during crisis situations. Oh, and then they used explosives.

If it wasn’t for those orange earplugs, I would probably be deaf right now. Week four at Waukesha Citizens Academy involved learning about the city’s elite tactical unit. We observed things from a sniper taking down soda cans at a great distance, officer or citizen rescues, how police would take down a suspect in a hostage situation and, with an extra loud boom, blowing off the doors. In the last case, it’s a lot of training they have used, but have only had to see it in action one time when an armed robbery suspect had barricaded himself in a hotel room. When police heard shots go off inside the room, they quickly blew off the door to get inside. Unfortunately, the shots they heard were from the armed robbery suspect killing himself …

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Editor's Notebook

Citizens Academy Week 3: Drugs and Gangs

Yes, marijuana was used during the presentation.

Last night there was a large group of us gathered in the basement. The green- and red-colored Bob Marley incense burner was sitting there right in front of us as the fumes from the marijuana that was lit up began drifting toward us. Some people said it was like the smell of a Jimmy Buffet concert. Earlier, one man said “We are doing drugs tonight.” At some point, the cocaine and the marijuana were passed around the room. OK, so it’s not what it seems. During the Waukesha Citizen’s Academy on Thursday night, we learned about drugs, drug deals, drug arrests and the drug unit at the Waukesha Police Department. And the marijuana that was being burned? It was without tetrahydrocannabinol – also known as THC – which is the active ingrediant in …

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Sarah Millard

12:55 pm on Friday, September 16, 2011

I am! It's at the tactical range and I hear we are going to see some things blown up :)   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 ›