Class Notes: Muskego Citizen's Academy Hauls Out the Hardware

It's no doubt, Muskego is a small town, and by and large demand for a large police presence is not required on a regular basis.  However, when it's needed, it's just got to be there.

Whether it's a response to an anticipated problem, as in the Paul Ryan visit last week, or the need to call in SWAT teams for domestic disputes that can lockdown a neighborhood, manpower and training are necessary to maintain order and stop a threat.

Lt. Dave Constantineau, who pens the weekly Neighborhood Watch Newsletter, is also a part of the detective squad at Muskego Police Department.  Detectives are generally called to assist patrols when the scope of the investigation will pull them from duty for too long.  Detectives conduct interviews and liaision with other departments like the drug enforcement unit (DEU) of Waukesha County, and ultimately serve to mentor other officers.

What detectives are seeing an uptick in is computer crime, like lottery scams, phishing and pharming, and identity theft.  Constantineau said it's also the most difficult part of their job, as the trail is often cold by the time the victim realizes they've been taken.

Constantineau also oversees the Muskego Police Explorers, which he admits is his 'baby.'  Teens are trained in police tactics and often assist regular officers at various community events, and compete against other teams to test their skills. Most often proceed to pursue careers in law and law enforcement.

Muskego also has a 10 man SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team, which has been deployed four times in the past year.  Members are basically always on call, and take about 45 minutes to gather and organize depending on the situation.  Generally, officers need to be on the force about 3 years before they can apply to join the team.

"In the meantime, we are watching them as they are patrolling to make sure they are acting in a tactically safe manner," explained Lt. Richard Rens, who has been a SWAT team member for about 20 years.

Members have specific roles within the team, and train monthly as a team to keep them sharp. What manpower doesn't provide to the team, various equipment and weapons do.

In the name of journalism, I volunteered to don the accoutrements of a team member, including a 25-pound protective vest and a helmet that felt like it was made of cast iron.

"It's a bit heavy, and your neck can hurt after a while," Rens told me after seeing my reaction.

Add a rifle that weighs another five to 10 pounds and other gear that wasn't in the room, and I am convinced I am a living boat anchor.  However, SWAT team members will have to maneuver and even run under all this weight.

Lucky for me I wasn't asked to lift the 20-pound shield that the first in line gets to hold while pointing a weapon to fire accurately.

A recent addition to the team was a level-four shield, which boasts four-inch glass and 75 pounds of heft to stop a bullet.  Officer Jeff Monreal said they will need to put the shield on wheels because even he can only hold it up for about 20 seconds at a time.

Our class is the 20th in the Citizens Academy program, which has graduated more than 200 since it began.  We are also weapons that the police hope to rely on, along with neighborhood and business watch groups in the city. The goal has been to help humanize the police department and realize our own part in its function.  Our help can mean that SWAT teams aren't needed so often, and that's a responsibility that seems to have more weight than that level-four shield.