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| 12/18/2009 5:52:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Minocqua police chief reprimands multiple officers
Trojan disciplined eight times since 2002
At least four members of the Minocqua Police Department have been disciplined over the past year for violations of department policy - with one, patrol officer William Trojan, being reprimanded more than once during that same period and a total of eight times since 2002.
An investigation into the types of offenses committed and the disciplinary measures meted out this past year came about through a formal open records request of the department - initially prompted by an accident involving a police squad car that was being driven by Trojan while he was on duty on Aug. 1, 2009.
The open records request was placed through police chief Andy Gee. During Gee's tenure with the department Trojan was ordered to serve five unpaid suspension days. He served three out of those five days.
Internal investigation conducted
In a document provided by Gee, he explained that the department had conducted an internal investigation into an allegation of carelessness.
According to one of the documents, the department's internal investigation found that on Aug. 1, 2009, at approximately 7:35 p.m., Trojan crashed the department's 2009 Dodge Charger squad car into a light pole belonging to The Waters of Minocqua. The damage to town property (the squad car) amounted to $4,876.18. The estimate of the damage to the private property at The Waters to replace the light pole was $6,115.
"As a result of this investigation I have suspended Police Officer William Trojan for one day without pay," Gee wrote. Trojan did serve the one day suspension.
Other discipline taken
The disciplinary records provided to The Times also showed that Trojan had been disciplined for other incidents not made public.
"An investigation found that on Aug. 20, 2009, Officer William Trojan received an email from me [chief Gee] directing that he make his portable radio available for repair during regular business hours during Aug. 25, 2009, so that the radio could receive an upgrade."
According to documents with information from chief Gee, on Aug. 25, 2009, Trojan was the only employee receiving this directive who failed to comply.
According to Gee's statement, a service technician was required to wait - after completing upgrades on the other portable radios - for Trojan to arrive for duty at 2 p.m. Had the technician not been able to wait, the department would have incurred an additional service call charge for the technician to return to complete an otherwise free update at a later date.
"Officer Trojan has been disciplined on prior occasions for failure to follow an order and insubordination," Gee said in the investigative report.
"I have combined the discipline with another investigation in which on Aug. 19, 2009, Officer Trojan was found to have left the jurisdiction while on duty to obtain a meal from [a restaurant in Arbor Vitae] despite an April 2008 written directive and a subsequent verbal directive from me prohibiting officers from leaving the jurisdiction while on duty to obtain meals."
According to the documents, Trojan admitted to knowing and understanding the directive he violated. The report quotes Trojan as saying that he "didn't think that getting meals outside the jurisdiction was that big of a deal."
The report indicated that Trojan also made a statement such as, but not limited to, "We all had a craving ..."
Gee went on to say, "as a result of these combined investigations, I have suspended Officer Trojan for four days without pay. The dates of the suspensions will be Sept. 26 and 27. Two days were to be held in abeyance for a three month period."
Officer Sonja Murray and dispatcher Lisa Clendening were working on the same shift as Trojan when the incident occurred. They were each issued a documented oral reprimand in connection with the incident because they had ordered meals and Trojan was to pick up the meals for them at the same time he picked his up.
According to documents, both Murray and Clendening admitted during an internal investigation that they were aware of the written order that did not allow leaving the police jurisdiction to obtain meals and gave Trojan permission to pick up their meals despite knowing the department's policy against such actions.
Trojan disciplined previously
In July 2004, Trojan was reprimanded after an incident in which an internal investigation found that he grabbed a woman "by the front of her shirt and moved her backwards" but made no arrest.
As a result of the finding, former police chief Norbert "Mac" McMahon, placed a letter of reprimand in Trojan's file and ordered the patrolman to attend a professional communications instructor course as remedial training in dealing with people.
This incident was the fourth time since 2002 Trojan had been reprimanded for inappropriate conduct. The other actions involved a verbal warning for disobeying traffic laws while backing up other officers in non-emergency situations, the negligent operation of his police car and loitering.
On July 29, 2008, Trojan was issued a documented oral reprimand for code of conduct violations for failure to complete two case files despite two separate directives over the previous month.
On July 30, 2008, Trojan was issued a written reprimand for the same code of conduct violations for failure to complete the same two case files as identified in the July 29, 2008, documented oral reprimand.
On June 6, 2008, Trojan was issued a written reprimand for the same code of conduct violations for failure to turn in his "Click It or Ticket" mobilization activity report documenting his traffic stop activity for the campaign despite three email directives with the final directive on June 1, 2009, giving an extended deadline of June 4, 2009.
On March 31, 2008, Trojan was issued a counseling memo for code of conduct violations, which included familiarity of duties, compliance with orders, insubordination, performance of duties. According to the released documents," Trojan failed to follow a written directive to complete his update training recertification courses in a timely manner."
Gee said his department does not consider the issuance of the counseling memo to be a form of discipline.
Officer Herrmann disciplined
According to a report submitted to Gee on May 27, 2009, disciplinary action was warranted against officer Jeremy Herrmann.
The report stated that on May 7, 2009, at approximately 3:36 p.m., Herrmann was involved in a vehicular accident with a patrol squad car while on a traffic stop for speeding.
According to the report, the accident was found to be the result of Herrmann's careless conduct. While exiting the patrol car, Herrmann failed to put the car in park. The squad rolled forward and struck the vehicle which was stopped for speeding. Herrmann failed to notify the Minocqua Police Department dispatch immediately of the accident either via police radio or cellular telephone.
There was no other law enforcement agency dispatched to the scene to handle the accident and there was no state accident form filed for the accident. Herrmann did not take photographs of the accident and did not notify Gee of the accident until May 12, 2009, at 5:01 a.m. through an email.
Herrmann admitted to Gee when questioned about the incident that it wasn't the first time that he (Herrmann) had forgotten to put the squad in park which the chief said "demonstrates a degree of carelessness."
An estimate of the damage to the other vehicle was $460. After the accident, Herrmann gave the driver of the other car a verbal warning for speeding.
Herrmann was issued a documented oral reprimand for the incident.
Any other information in this story about disciplinary action taken against members of the Minocqua Police Department before Andy Gee became chief was obtained through previous open records requests by The Times and previous Lakeland Times stories.
Joe VanDeLaarschot can be reached at jvandelaarschot@lakelandtimes.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Todd Olewinski
It will never stop more Minocqua and the Woodruff police officers are still making problems with the public today with some kids and some adults. these NEW police officers think they can do what ever they want to you at any giving time they feel like to. Know there are more stories coming out in the public about bing miss treated when getting pulled over or something else being involved with bad treatment from the Minocqua & Woodruff police Dept's
Posted: Sunday, December 27, 2009
Article comment by:
Chris
I will admit they aren't the most egregious of offenses, but it is very important to have the people that watch us have someone watching them. I applaud the Times for doing that. A great deal of professionalism is expected from Officers, having the eyes of the community on them via the local media helps them maintain that professional conduct.
Posted: Thursday, December 24, 2009
Article comment by:
Raymond
It Sounds like Andy Chief Was doing his job by disiplining these officers but if I was the Chief i would a Fierd all of them! and people that make comments about how its stupid he is taking action on theses officers for silly stuff well think about this what if they had to deal with a real emerngency with your family or loved one or a freind of yours and one of theses officers screwed up becouse they dint go By procideier then i bet you would have a diffrent look on Andy Chiefe Taking Action on these officers
Posted: Monday, December 21, 2009
Article comment by:
Mike Moove
Gerry, what laws were broken? I did not see anything about laws being broken?
Posted: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Gerry
Friends of yours?? I am VERY interested in knowing that the police who are to uphold the law, can't. Or more to the point-WON'T. What pathetic excuses for officers. In other places, they would be fired for their offenses.
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