Wisconsin Town Loses Nearly Half of Police Force in a Single Day

A Wisconsin police department saw nearly half its force resign in a single day last week, leaving the future of the force in question altogether.

The Village of Big Bend Police Department posted to its Facebook page on Thursday announcing the resignation of five police officers. The head of the Fire and Police Commission, Mark Anderson, also quit.

According to WISN 12 News, which first reported about the mass resignation, the departures follow a public vote by the Big Bend town board on Dec. 7 to disband the police department altogether. The Village board quickly reversed their decision in response to public pressure, but officers said it was the final straw that led to their resignation.

One of the officers who resigned, James Soneberg, was visibly angry at the Dec. 7 meeting, shouting: "You are so full of it! I am tired of the harassment of this Village Board. And all the crap I've been dealing with throughout the years."

The resignations account for nearly half of the department, which WISN 12 News reports had three full-time and nine part-time officers at the start of September. With the sudden passing of Police Chief Don Gaglione in October and the current resignations, the department is now down to one full-time and five part-time officers.

The area is also served by the Waukesha County Sheriff, but Anderson told WISN 12 News that there could be coverage gaps for residents.

“There very well could be a lack of service here,” Anderson said. “And I feel bad about that because the people are leaving because of the Village Board.”