TOWN OF WATERFORD, Wis. — The Town of Waterford Board voted Monday night to disband its police department.
Over the past year, the Waterford Police Department has been without a police chief, lost officers, and faced numerous internal investigations. As a result, board members voted to eliminate it altogether.
The vote and discussion lasted less than 30 seconds at Monday night's meeting.
The decision to dissolve the WPD comes just one week after the board discussed creating a committee to explore policing options.
"I feel sorry. I don't want to see it disbanded, but I understand the situation with the cost and everything. I don't think it's fair to the officers that are going to be disbanded," resident Al Wichgers said.
"I'm glad that they resolved this issue because, as a concerned resident of Waterford, we want to be protected," resident Cindy Kelley said.
Despite the decision being final, residents told TMJ4 they’re still torn.
"I'm all for it," resident Dan Egan added.
"I think they should've rebuilt [the department]," Wichgers said.
"Waterford Police Department did good, but it was dwindling. It was crumbling before our eyes, so why not take the higher road and go with the sheriff's department," Kelley explained.
The town will contract with the Racine County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services beginning "as soon as practical." The contract will last for at least five years.
The town's chairperson, Teri Nicolai, said they plan to enter into a contract with Racine County to provide a dedicated team in Waterford.
Watch: Neighbors react to Town of Waterford voting to disband police department
She also said it will cut the town's cost of paying for police in half.
"I'm just a concerned citizen, and I'm just happy we have coverage now," Kelley said.
"You know, it's tough, especially days like this. They're covering accidents, they're covering fires, they're covering everything. I just hope that it works for the people here in Waterford, the town and the village," Wichgers added.
In the 2-1 vote, the Town Board notified the Village of Waterford that their earlier counterproposal to continue providing police services to the village was withdrawn.
The current contract providing police services to the village will end when it expires, when the last full-time police officer leaves, or within six months—whichever scenario happens first.
The Town of Waterford also said it plans to hire a part-time police chief to oversee the town's water patrol. The town will eliminate police clerk positions, as the Sheriff's Office will take over those duties.
We've reached out to both the Racine County Sheriff's Office and the county itself for more information. No one returned our calls.
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