MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In 1979, the city of Menasha had 31 police officers. 44 years later, in 2023, it had 32.
In that same time, the city has witnessed a nearly 40% increase in population, putting the Menasha Police Department below state and national averages for officer-to-citizen ratio.
The Menasha Police Department is asking for a referendum to add six patrol, investigation and administrative positions.
“We want to be progressive,” Police Chief Nick Thorn said. “We want to be planning ahead and when we look at our existing staffing levels right now, we’re already behind.”
Thorn said the growth in population is just one factor affecting the department. Since 2020, the department has responded to an increasing number of calls.
From 2011 to 2023, the total number of jumped by over 1,600. That jump leading to an increase in call response time and officers putting in overtime.
“When we look at nowadays, our officers are spending a lot of time and resources trying to assist our communities with mental health related issues,” Thorn said.
Advancements in technology have also played a role.
“How specific it is for us to acquire search warrants,” Thorn said. “It’s not just a search warrant draft to get a phone. That in and of itself is very labor intensive and we look at staffing limits and staffing time allocation — a lot of our investigative staff is spending an abundance of time doing these things.”
Those in the department say this can lead to fatigue, poor mental health or burnout.
“There’s obviously a clear need,” Mayor Austin Hammond said. “We’ve got to look at the fiscal impact of what that’s going to look like for moving forward and is a referendum the best path forward in order to address their needs and what does that do to our city finances at large?”
That need would come with a financial burden on taxpayers. The department’s referendum would cost a homeowner an extra 73 cents per $1000. That equates to an extra $114 per year for the average home value.
After Chief Thorn’s presentation, the issue was taken up by the city’s administrative committee. However, the committee decided to postpone making a decision until they can get more information from the Department of Revenue.
They’ll take it up again at their August 5 meeting.
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