MPD: Adds 27 Officers

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Reporter: Brock Bergey
Email Address: bbergey@nbc15.com

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POSTED: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 -- 4:40pm

27 recruits took the oath on Tuesday. However, the officers won't be street-ready until February of 2009.

They go through 34-weeks of training, including 12 in the field, with a veteran officer.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray says this new class is the largest group in the city's history.

Last year, the department held several neighborhood meetings to address changing crime trends throughout the city.

The chief says public sentiment echoed the need for additional patrols.

"Seeing that, hearing that, clearly going to the mayor and council, articulating that need in the budgetary process last year," says Wray.

In addition to being the largest class, Wray says this is also the most diverse. For the first time, women and minorities outnumber white men.

"What's exciting about that is not only does this class reflect the community, but it's a quality group of individuals that will serve this group well," adds Wray.

Each recruit makes $41,000 a year. Combined, that's more than $1.1-million.

With the new recruits, Madison's police department now has 438 officers.

"Just excited to get going," says Jon Drollinger of Champaign, Illinois. "Excited to help the communing, serving Madison and keep the upstanding reputation."

The new class of officers includes:

Mary Acton, age 22, Fenton Michigan
Adrian Alan, age 25, Madison Wisconsin
Amanda Analla, age 21, Franklin, Wisconsin
Carlin Becker, age 35, Poynette, Wisconsin
Keri Berling, age 26, Slinger, Wisconsin
Rick Bruenig, age 39, Waunakee, Wisconsin
John Christian, age 21, Madison, Wisconsin
Jon Drollinger, age 22, Champaign, Illinois
Nicholas Ellis, age 25, DeKalb, Illinois
Richard Friday, age 25, Holland, Michigan
Zachary Haggerty, age 25, Hanover, Illinois
Glen Hill, age 22, Augres, Michigan
Cary House, age 28, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Roderick Johnson, Sr., age 31, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Shawn Kelly, age 29, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sarah Mackesey, age 38, Madison, Wisconsin
Sonny Martinez, age 23. Marquette, Michigan
Alexandra Mayerhofer, age 32, Madison, Wisconsin
Michael Mendenhall, age 23, Big Rapids, Michigan
Brittany Meylor, age 29, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Gary Pihlaja, age 22, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Jacob Reno, age 29, Madison, Wisconsin
Kenneth Riley, age 29, Plover, Wisconsin
Anthony Ward, age 31, Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Charles Warren, age 32, Brooklyn, Wisconsin
Joseph Weberpal, age 22, Milton, Wisconsin
Harrison Zanders, III, age 28, Davenport, Iowa

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 3, 2008 at 08:37 PM
Melissa: I am so glad somebody else feels the same way. The police do the job,but the courts fail us.I know of 1 person who has 10 open cases against him. The police get him off the streets and the courts let him back out. IT is the court system that is failing everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Melissa Location: Madison on May 30, 2008 at 02:04 PM
I am curious to know why everyone blames MPD/Officers for everything? Have you ever checked in with our County D.A.'s and questioned why they drop charges? For instance, someone shoots paintballs at a very busy local business during p.m. rush hour traffic and instead of charging that person with any type of weapon violation (as requested by PD) they knock it down to graffiti! How many times have we heard about Use Of Force issues too? People whine about how soft City of Madison Officer's are and complain whenever they take any physical action! Damned if you do and Damned if you don't I guess! To all the new recruits, good luck:) This is a very opinionated city.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 28, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Where do I start.These "idots"as you call them were picked from over 700 hundred applicants.You do NOT know how much went into this process. Grow up,are you that insecure about your sexuality? I always have found it funny when people knock the police, but yet when they need help who do they call? Don't judge everyone in 1 package. THERE are some 21,22,23 year olds who may NOT have had "life experiences" but the have a GOOD head on their shoulders to make the right choices. I am AMAZED at how childish these comments are. Thank goodness you who quite did. Oh and by the way the 3 I know are NOT gay. Not that it matters, but in your narrow minds it might.

Posted by: Officer Friendly on May 28, 2008 at 04:56 PM
This is too big of a city to run a PD this way. I was a former big city cop and know how these thugs think. They don't respect the badge. Looking at Madison PD, I view it as soft. I can't imagine how the thugs view Madison PD, but it shows just by the crime going up here. I want coppers from Madison. They seen what has happened here and will take it personal. That's right. When thugs from Milwaukee/Chicago come here and disrupt lives, it's personal. Police dept. are not meant for experimenting with social programs. Why is everyone letting these buzzwords diversity, tolerance, compassion dictate the way crime is fought here? These buzzwords have little meaning at the end of the day. I'd rather focus on preventing that armed robbery, shooting, cutting, or whatever. I know there are some fine coppers here in Madison with mean streaks that are doing what they can. They must feel out on an island. I know I would if I worked here.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 28, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Hey Lashonda, with all do respect if you really were in law enforcement I would think you of all people should be well aware of the fact that there will be a large number of gay (in closet, bi) men, alot of lesbians. Furthermore, the field of law enforcement attracts people who were abused in one way or another sometime throughout their life. I am not in law enforcement but do know a couple and that is the norm.

Posted by: Tiffinay Location: Town of Madison on May 28, 2008 at 04:45 PM
I think Lashonda and the Professor are correct! Susan who cares about the professors sentence structure? only you! He is trying to tell us something valuable! I also think it is wrong that they went all over the United States to recruit! My brother is a African American Male who is currently in his 2nd year of Law School at the UW! He applied for this job and was not even giving a second look! Its a matter of finding individuals that are young and numb to the fact of their surroundings. MPD doesnt want to hire a full time new recruit that knows something. They want to hire a new recruit that they feel that they can brainwash and turn into one of them! It is obvious! I also know plenty of well educated local men and women of all races that have not been excepted for one reason or another but they are right here under their noses.so why go to Michigan to recruit? It is crazy! Its terrible to say but they get what they get and that is exactly why we have these issues today in this city!

Posted by: Susan on May 28, 2008 at 03:11 PM
As a Criminal Justice professor you should know how to put together a coherent sentence.

Posted by: Lashonda Location: Madison on May 28, 2008 at 09:57 AM
I like the first question! How many are gay? thats right! I also think its a joke they spent a ton of money to go to other states to recruit when their are individuals right here in madison. I think the professor is just being real! I think he has probably invested much of his time in areas like this and not up to us to pass judgement on him! Thats whats wrong with Madison, nobody ever wants to listen when people are being real! Im certain that there are minorities in this community that would have qualified for this job but MPD went all over the country spending tax money to recruit! I quit the MPD as well 5 years ago because I was a married woman that felt uncomfortable around so many lesbian officers. The joke on the department was that you might come on as a rookie with a husband but you are sure to leave with a girlfriend! Equal rights is a great thing but when you hire people just because they are a certain type person isnt right! Hire the person best fit for the job!

Posted by: Anonymous on May 28, 2008 at 09:12 AM
wow 27 more idiots added to a allready horrible police force. i quite the mpd 4 years ago due to how horrible it is.

Posted by: Disagree Location: Madison on May 28, 2008 at 05:37 AM
I couldn't agree less with what Concerned has to say. Look at the age spans above, look at the number of places these people are from. If "Concerned" really is a Criminal Justice professor, he/she should understand that diversity is what can improve an agency. It seems to me that Concerned doesn't understand that most cops take have a vested interest in their communities because its where they live. These new cops, those from outside Madison, will mostly live in Madison. I would doubt he is actually a C.J. professor.

Posted by: MAPD Does it Right Location: Madison on May 28, 2008 at 05:34 AM
As a Criminal Justice professor you should understand the importance of an important thing called "diversity." This means not hiring the same type of officers, from the same geographical area, with the same backgrounds, and similiar life experiences. If we did not have diversity in the Law Enforcement profession we should expect less from our law enforcement community. The more diversity our agencies can provide to the community, the more creative they can be with options and ideas to solve problems. If we had a bunch of white kids, who all went to MATC, who have all lived in Madison for the past 25 years, think how great they would be at problem solving. With a more diverse group of individuals coming together to solve problems, we'll only get better solutions. I do not work for MAPD, but I am in the L.E. field. I was brought here from CO and feel I have a vested interest in the community as this is my new home.As a C.J. professor I would think you would applaud such hiring practice

Posted by: Anonymous on May 28, 2008 at 12:15 AM
Well, like I said in an earlier post this city better think about hiring 120 officers a year. They better start some aggressive policing before it is too late. 27 ain't gonna cut it. Each police district needs it's own special cars, about 5 or 6 two-man cars to conduct gang sweeps, aggresive FI stops, car stops, work informants etc. Whatever area in each police district that is receiving complaints of gang/drug loitering type behavior gets undivided attention. Lots of arrests will be made. The coppers that want to be active and have a mean streak should be working the special cars. That's the type of policing I was familiar with and worked. People should be able to go to the grocery store and not being around punks in gangs, get gas and not have to hear all the loud stereo systems, you get the drift. There's power in numbers.

Posted by: Concerned Location: Madison on May 27, 2008 at 09:31 PM
You can not tell me that a individual that is 21 or 22 years of age has enough life experience to serve this city as a police officer! I am sure there are many qualified candidates right here in Madison that the MPD past by so they could go to Michigan and other states to fill a Quota! This is very disheartening! It is obvious now that their hiring procedures are off the wall! This police force has plenty of individuals to pick from right here in their own community! As a Criminal Justice professor I can tell you that this is a case of a police force thats hiring agenda is not to better the community rather it is to work on their image! Were there not qualified minorities here in madison they could hire for the job? I think there were but they wasted your tax money to travel to Michigan to recruit and all over the country! Why? We have colleges here! We have Associate programs here! We have candidates here in our community that care for this community cause this is their home!

Posted by: Anonymous on May 27, 2008 at 06:04 PM
How many are gay?

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