Brillion to receive police proposal from county

July 16, 2020

By David Nordby

The Brillion News

City could be served by Calumet County police

BRILLION – Brillion City Council on Monday night voted 5-2 in favor of obtaining a proposal from the Calumet County Sheriff’s Department on how it would police the City of Brillion.

Voting in favor of receiving the proposal from the county were Joe Behnke, Tim Hanson, Joe Levash, Betty Nies and Carrie Wenzel. Sarah Pielhop and TJ Moehr voted no.

The five who voted in favor of receiving the proposal agreed that the idea of the county serving the city is at least worth exploring in the city’s ongoing efforts to save money.

Prior to that motion being passed, Pielhop had a motion on the floor to end the conversation of an alternative to the Brillion Police Department and not receive a proposal from the county. Only Moehr voted in agreement with her.

The concept of the city being served by Calumet County police rather than the existing Brillion Police Department was first publicly brought up during last Thursday afternoon’s Public Safety Building Task Force Committee meeting.

Brillion Mayor Mel Edinger spoke with Calumet County Sheriff Mark Wiegert first through a phone call and then in person, initially with the intention of seeing if the county could assist with growing overtime numbers in the city. Edinger said that Wiegert believes he could serve the city with around five officers. Edinger relayed that at the committee meeting.

Under the scenario, the county would always have at least one officer in Brillion serving in cars that are marked City of Brillion. Edinger said Monday that he has been told that the county would hire existing Brillion officers, though the county would be legally free to hire officers from wherever they wanted, and it has not been expressed by Brillion police members if they would want to pursue work for the county in that scenario.

Please see the complete story in the July 16, 2020 print edition of The Brillion News available now. The newspaper features more information from Monday's meeting, perspective from the police, council, and citizens, statistics from the police department, and comments from all parties involved.