2007 Annual Report
Law Enforcement Memorial Procession:
On Friday, May 9, 2008 Chief Rutten
attended a Law Enforcement Memorial Procession in Madison, Wisconsin with other
law enforcement agencies. Below are
a few pictures from the day's events.
Bike Safety Day:
The Bike Safety Day held on June 7th was a
success. The event was held in the Village Hall lot with approximately 70+
participants. Officer Matt Hocevar did a good job in preparing for the event
this year. Everyone I spoke with said his or her children enjoyed the program.
Our department received a grant from Habush, Habush & Rottier SC for the bike
helmets that were given out. The soda was donated by Lakeside Pepsi and the
chips were donated by Frito Lay Inc. The Kohler Police Department then provided
the participants with either a cable lock, halogen light, bell, basket, flag or
an electronic odometer for their bikes. We appreciate the assistance from Wolf
Cycle to make this a successful event. We all look forward to doing it again
next year. Pictures of the event are posted on our website on the
Bike Safety Day page.
Back in Black (and White):
The Kohler Police Department has purchased its new squad
for this year. The squad is a black and white 2008 Dodge Charger V6 from
Sheboygan Chrysler. The Dodge was less expensive than the Crown Victoria this
year, which only comes in a V8. The Charger has more horsepower and much better
gas mileage, which should save the Village about $1,500 a year. The vehicle
purchased was all black for better resale value and was wrapped in white vinyl
on the doors. Vinyl Graphics from Oostburg did the doors and the decals for
less than the old decal scheme was alone. The Charger stands out and I have
received many good comments about it. The Charger is a very good vehicle for
being a squad car, including stability control and other safety features.
Warmer Weather Reminder:
Drivers should be aware that the warmer weather will allow
more and more bicycles and scooters to be out and about. Please be aware of the
children when driving through the Village.
Deer Abatement Update:
The Kohler Police Department has stopped the deer abatement program for the spring. The Village
was able to cull 24 deer from the herd, giving all the deer away to Village
residents who were on our call list. The abatement program is designed to keep
the herd in check and hopefully you have noticed a difference. Unfortunately,
there were areas that we were not able to get to this year, noticeably along CTH
PP where deer are seen regularly.
Gunlocks:
The Kohler Police
Department continues to supply Masterlock trigger locks to any Village Resident
that would like one. In addition to the trigger locks provided, the Kohler
Police Department also is participating with the U.S. Department of Justice
gunlock grant program, Project Childsafe. These gunlocks are the cable style
and anyone may request up to three gunlocks from the Kohler Police Department
through that program.
How to Contact Us:
The Kohler Police Department has police patrols on-duty 24
hours a day. However, the office is only open Mon-Fri from 7 am to 4 pm. If
you need to contact our department, call 459-3877. If no one answers, you will
be given menu options. Option #1 is to have an officer dispatched; this connects
the caller with the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Dispatch. I urge anyone that
calls about an active incident, suspicion complaint, theft complaint, etc. to
choose this option. We do have an officer on duty option #2 if you would like
the officers to be aware of something that isn’t urgent. The officers
periodically check that message throughout their shifts. If you have an
emergency, please call #911, as that is the fastest way to be connected with the
emergency dispatcher.
School Crossing Guards:
The Kohler Police Department has two very dependable and dedicated crossing guards that keep the Village’s children safe. They provide a valuable service, at five different time intervals of up to 25 minutes, during each and every school day. Please help them out by instructing your children that are going straight home to do so before the crossing guards are done with their shifts. If anyone has a question of the time intervals, please contact the police department or Officer
Gross at the school.
Don't Be a Victim:
Recently some of the Kohler residents were victimized by having numerous items taken from
unlocked vehicles. The items ranged from cash and CD's to credit/debit cards.
Within days, the cards were being used in Milwaukee at gas pumps, etc. with no
surveillance. That same night an unlocked vehicle with the keys inside was also
taken. The vehicle was recovered in Milwaukee a week later, with numerous items
also missing. Nothing was taken or done to locked vehicles in the area.
Despite the best efforts of police, these types of crime can still happen.
Don’t be a victim, keep your vehicles locked.
Are you prepared for an Emergency?
Another aspect of emergency planning for a community is
trying to get the message out that each family have a plan if an emergency
affects their home. Are you prepared
for a short power outage, or loss of water pressure? Does your sump pump have
battery backup if you loss power for several hours? Do you have a kit at home
to provide food and water for three days in the event of a major disaster? The nation seems to be getting hit with
natural disasters all the time, assistance for large areas may take time to
have power grids restored or water systems repaired. Click on the following link to be redirected to the Emergency Preparedness site.
Identity Theft:
Have you or someone you know been a victim of Identity Theft? Statistics show
that over 8 million Americans have been a victim of identity theft. The perpetrators are looking for
victims without criminal records and good credit ratings, that’s you! Protect yourself with some easy to do
steps. Shredding your confidential mail is very important. Remove unnecessary identifying information from your checks, such as phone number and Drivers
License number (a retailer will ask if they need it). Check your credit report annually for free at Annual Credit Report.
You do not need to sign up for anything at the site to get the report. Stop unsolicited pre-approved credit cards from being mailed by calling 1-888-5-opt-out
(1-888-567-8688), you can opt-out for life. Also, never answer questions about your identity on the phone or by
unsolicited e-mails. Your bank or other financial institutions have all your information, they don’t need you to tell
them again by e-mail or phone. You can view other ways to protect yourself and take a quiz to see if you could be a victim by clicking on the following link Identity Theft.
Kohler Police Department Explorer Post:
The Kohler Police Department is holding an Explorer Post organizational meeting on Thursday, January 11, 2007
at 7:00 p.m. in the Kirkpatrick Center at the Village Hall. Youth that are interested in a career or any aspect of Law Enforcement are encouraged to
attend. If you have questions, feel free to contact our School Resource Officer Chad Gross at 459-3877 or via email at Officer Gross.
Soliciting without Permits:
The Village of Kohler has been experiencing an increase in door-to-door salespersons soliciting without first obtaining
permits. The fees for the permits are nominal, but the important aspect is that the Village is aware of exactly who
is soliciting. Background checks can be run and only legitimate organizations are allowed to solicit. If someone is soliciting legally, they will
not be upset if they are asked to see their permit. If no permit has been issued, please send them on their way and
contact the police department immediately.
Do we have your bike?
If you haven’t seen your bike lately, we may have it. The Kohler Police Department regularly gets
dozens of found bikes each year, many in great shape. Some don’t have a non-expiring Kohler bike license that allows our department to return it to its rightful owner. In those cases, the bike is kept until either it is claimed or
auctioned off. If you are missing your bike or any other property, call the police department at 459-3877.
Credit Card Scams:
Be careful on who you give your credit card information to. A
scam that is becoming more prevalent is a phone caller posing as a credit card company saying they are looking into a suspicious charge on your account. They
indicate that they don’t need your name or number, just asking about the charge. They tell you of a charge that is obviously fraudulent and make you
feel that they are protecting you. Then they ask for your 3-digit code on the back of your card. This code allows them to use your card on the Internet, etc.
Your credit card company will not ask you for that information, since they already have it. Never give out your date of birth, social security number,
bank account number, pin numbers, or credit card numbers to callers. If you do receive a call, ask for their information and call them back at the legitimate
number you already have in your records or the number on the back of your card.
New 8-Year Old Booster Seat Law:
Governor Doyle recently signed the new 8-year old Booster Seat Law that will go into effect June 1, 2006. The law
requires children under 8 to be in a booster seat, unless they are over 80 pounds or taller than 4 ft. 9 ins. The law allows for one warning within the first 6 months of when it goes into
effect. Police departments are required to send their warnings to the State of Wisconsin indicating who has already received a warning. This law should make the children in
Wisconsin safer while in vehicles. Many of the local stores are currently out of these types of seats, but many models can be purchased online at those same retailers for under $25, including delivery.
Law Enforcement Solicitation:
The Kohler Police Department has received numerous calls
about phone solicitation from telemarketers on behalf of law enforcement. Many people have been wondering how that money affects the local police department.
Our response is that we don’t receive any money from those solicitations, and I recommend that people don’t donate to the telemarketers. My recommendation would
be for those that want to donate, do so directly to the charity of your choice. Telemarketing is
a business and only a portion of that money goes to those associations/entities. Also, these types of calls can be annoying, but due to their
affiliation with non-profit organizations, they are not restricted by the “No Call list”.
Vacation Checks:
Don’t forget that if you are planning to go away
on spring break or at any time during the year, that you may have the Kohler Police Department check your house while you are gone. Residents can now request a vacation check
on-line through the Kohler Police Department’s web page, by stopping by the department, or calling. If you call outside of regular business hours you may leave a message too.
In your message just include your name, address, duration of your vacation, and
any other pertinent information that we may need to know. Some pertinent
information may include lights that are on timers, alarms, and names of persons that may stop by or keyholders. Any other questions about this service, please call the police department.
Street Crossing Training:
On one of the first days of school this year,
newly appointed School Resource Officer Chad Gross taught some of the newest
students at the Kohler Schools how and where to cross the road. With the assistance of Police Crossing Guard
Harriet Tershner, the students were educated on how to safely cross at the
crosswalk with the assistance of the crossing guard. The Kohler Police Department has been conducting this training
for the last several years.
Bicycles on Sidewalks:
I recently spoke to a concerned citizen about nearly being hit by a bicycle on a sidewalk. The Village of Kohler has always allowed bicycles to be driven on the sidewalks within the Village. The operators of bicycles must yield the right-of-way to the pedestrians on the sidewalks. Please be courteous to those other persons that may be using the sidewalks, paths, etc. to keep our Village safe.
Parking Complaints:
Occasionally the Kohler Police Department will receive complaints about parking problems throughout the Village. Typically neighbors don’t want to complain directly to their fellow neighbor, but call our department with questions or to start a complaint. Parking is restricted near the Kohler Company to 1 hour and 2 hour parking. The only exception is for residents of the Village of Kohler. All others must abide by the restriction. The rest of the Village has a restriction of 72-hour parking. No vehicle may be parked in one location for longer than 72-hours without being moved. These vehicles would include: RVs, Campers, Boats, etc. Also, as always, vehicles need to be 4 feet from a driveway, 10 feet from a fire hydrant and 15 feet from a marked crosswalk. Please be aware of the parking restrictions.
Animal Complaints:
The Kohler Police Department has received several complaints of animals at large in the Village, including the cemetery. Cats and dogs are required to be on a leash or chain not longer than six feet when off their property. Animals that are on their property must be controlled by voice command, fenced in, or on a leash no longer than 15 feet. Please keep in mind that not everyone in your neighborhood wants your animal in their yard. Also, when walking your animals, please pick up after them. Many people use the green areas in the Village to exercise their dogs without picking up after them. Please be courteous to your fellow residents. No one wants to complain about his or her neighbor.
School Street Stopping/Standing:
In accordance with Wisconsin Statute 346.52, stopping and standing is prohibited on the nearside of a street adjacent to an elementary/middle school. This rule is in place for the safety of the students. Recently, we have seen an increase in the vehicles that are “just stopping for a second” in front of the school. This brief stop is preciously what needs to be avoided. Children may dart in front of stopped vehicles or between vehicles that they believe aren’t going to move. If inclement weather is occurring, use the north canopy drop off area to the school, which is the safer alternative.
