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Minocqua Police Chief Has Another Recruitment Tool

Minocqua Police Dept.

MINOCQUA – The Minocqua town board has given its police chief another tool to recruit experienced officers to his department.

Tuesday, the board approved a memorandum of agreement with the Minocqua Professional Police Association that authorizes what’s called a lateral entry program for those with general law enforcement experience to be hired without having to take rookie pay.

“The agreement is basically for us to attract more candidates and hopefully some experienced candidates as well, and give them an opportunity to come in without taking a cut in pay,” said Police Chief Dave Jaeger. “Individuals have a hard time if they want to relocate to this place. A lot of people can’t take a cut in pay. If we can give them a little incentive to ... move up here and be part of the department, this is an opportunity for that as well.”

There are restrictions to the lateral entry program, including a limit on transfer of initial pay grade. The applicant “has to be currently employed as a full time officer for the previous three years, and they have to have an exemplary work history, which means no disciplinary issues and things like that,” said the police chief. The maximum pay grade they can receive is five years if they have five years of previous law enforcement experience. They would also be eligible for accumulated paid time off and vacation time up to the level of a Minocqua officer with five years employment on the force. But they would be at the bottom of the seniority list and likely the first to go in the event of a layoff.

Minocqua is among the many departments across the nation finding it more difficult to find qualified applicants, Jaeger said. “When I first started (in law enforcement), you would see three to five hundred people applying for those positions. Now, you’re lucky to get 30. “It’s everywhere; not just the Northwoods; it’s not just Wisconsin. No one wants to do it anymore.” The chief says a recent resignation means the department is short one officer. He said the departing officer liked his job, but wanted to advance in the field of special response team (also known as SWAT), which the Minocqua department could not offer. He said the new lateral entry program would help ensure the department maintains its high caliber police force. “We just have the department going in a really, really good direction right now,” Jaeger said.

In other actions, the board heard a report from Minocqua Brewing Company marketer Doug Etten, who reported on the 20th annual Ice Cold Beer Fest. The event, held Feb. 10th at Torpy Park in Minocqua, raised some $17,000 for local non-profits, he said. “Overall it was a big, big success.” The organizers donated $6,700 to Dr. Kate Hospice, $3,500 to the cancer center at Marshfield Clinic, $2,000 to Dr. Kate Museum’s building fund, $1,000 to the Lakeland Safe Ride program, and reimbursed $500 to the town for a chain broken during teardown of the tent and for labor the town crew provided.

The board also approved a gravel bid of $8.50 per cubic yard from Pitlik & Wick, of Eagle River ($15,000 was budgeted this year for gravel). The board authorized the town clerk to designate the following Wednesday for the board meeting whenever an election date falls on the board’s first Tuesday meeting. Previously, the board had to act on the postponement at a regular meeting.

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