West Bend Police Chief Ken Meuler released the November monthly report and neighbors are noticing the homicide in October.
Chief Meuler said a 54-year-old West Bend man who lived on Deerfield Drive died Oct. 15.
Police were only recently able to verify he died from an overdose of heroin. Meuler said the case remains under investigation and police have no one in custody.
Below are the chief’s comments relating to the rest of the report.
Monthly Report to the Community
West Bend Police Department
November 2015
Message from Chief of Police Kenneth J Meuler:
We have all read and watched news stories that talk of breakdowns in communication and trust between police and citizens in communities throughout the country. We at the West Bend Police Department are very fortunate to have the understanding and support from the vast majority of citizens and businesses. This past month school and community groups brought thank you notes and treats to the Police Department. Numerous other citizens stopped officers and thanked them for their service. Each week we receive Citizen Surveys and other unsolicited correspondence from citizens praising and thanking employees for their assistance and kindness. I have said many times that the support shown to the Police Department by citizens and businesses makes this a great place to work.
The trust and support of the community is not something we take for granted. As a Department, we have made mistakes. When a mistake is made, we attempt to learn from them and that makes us a better department. Supervisors and officers regularly meet to review tactics, investigations, and strategies. We make changes based on those reviews and employee feedback. As problems in society change, so does the law enforcement response to those problems. We send employees of all ranks and assignments to the latest offerings in education and training. Those employees bring back what they learn and not only incorporate that knowledge into their work, but they also share with other employees, often conducting in-service classes for the entire Police Department. In addition, during our monthly in-service classes, we bring in community leaders and experts from a variety of fields. In 2015 we had presentations at in-service from representatives from the Washington County DA’s office, Friends of Abused Families, St. Joes/Froedert Health, WI Department of Justice, Lighthouse of West Bend – Memory Care, Anthem EAP, American Heart Association, Washington County’s Acute Crisis Response Unit, Homeless Coalition, Fehr-Graham (Hazmat response), and the Washington County Sexual Assault Response Team. In addition we are constantly reviewing our equipment and ensuring we supply our officers with equipment that will ensure both their safety and the safety of all citizens in the community. This past year we updated all uniform vehicles with squad video/camera, began purchasing new model safety holster for all sworn employees, purchased new ballistic vests for a number of employees, ballistic helmets for all officers assigned to the Special Response Unit, and began purchasing voice recognition software for employees to use to type their reports. All of our education, training, and equipment are instituted to both make the Police Department more effective and more efficient.
Stay safe, Happy Holidays, and I hope to see you in the community enjoying the holidays.
Kenneth J. Meuler, Chief of Police