Nearly half of police force resigns in one day

Big Bend officers blame Village Board

Big Bend officers blame Village Board

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ON THE 12 NEWS APP. NEW TONIGHT, FIVE MEMBERS OF A LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT QUITTING ON THE SAME DAY. THE VILLAGE OF BIG BEND ANNOUNCED THE RESIGNATIONS ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE. 12 NEWS NICK BOHR IS LIVE THERE WITH A LOOK AT THE REASON BEHIND THE MASS EXODUS. NICK. WELL, THE FIVE OFFICERS REPRESENT NEARLY HALF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE. I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE RESIGNING OFFICERS WHO TOLD ME THERE’S A GENERAL SENSE HERE THAT THEY DON’T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE VILLAGE BOARD IN BIG BEND, AND IT ONLY GOT WORSE, HE SAYS AFTER THE RECENT DEATH OF THEIR POLICE CHIEF. THE YARD SIGNS AND BLUE RIBBONS OF SUPPORT ARE STILL DISPLAYED IN BIG BEND, SPROUTING THREE MONTHS AGO, WHEN THE VILLAGE BOARD DECIDED TO DISBAND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER PUBLIC PRESSURE, THEY REVERSED THEMSELVES. BUT THE DAMAGE WAS DONE. FIVE POLICE OFFICERS ABRUPTLY RESIGNED AND THURSDAY ONE OF THEM, OFFICER JAMES SONNENBERG, WHO EARLY THIS MONTH AT A BOARD MEETING IN UNIFORM, LEFT NO DOUBT ABOUT HOW HE FELT ABOUT THE VILLAGE BOARD. YOU ARE SO FULL AND I. I AM TIRED OF THE HARASSMENT OF THIS VILLAGE BOARD AND ALL THE -- THAT I’VE BEEN DEALING WITH THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. THE HEAD OF THE FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION ALSO QUIT. I RESIGNED BECAUSE OF THE VILLAGE BOARD. MARK ANDERSON SAYS THE SUDDEN DEATH OF POLICE CHIEF DON GAGLIONE IN OCTOBER COULD HAVE HELPED UNIFY COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. BUT HE SAYS IT ONLY FRACTURED FURTHER. I FEEL BAD FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BIG BEND. THEY THERE IS A CLEAR DIVISION HERE IN THE VILLAGE, ANDERSON SAYS. THE VILLAGE. PRESIDENTS PLAN TO DISSOLVE THE FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION. THIS MONTH WAS THE LAST STRAW FOR HIM AND THE THE FIVE OFFICERS QUITTING THEIR VERY WELL COULD BE A LACK OF SERVICE HERE. NOW, I KNOW THAT WAUKESHA COUNTY SHERIFF, YOU KNOW, WILL FILL IN. SO THERE WILL BE COVERAGE, BUT THERE WILL NOT BE QUICK RESPONSE BECAUSE THERE’S JUST NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. AND I REALLY FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING BECAUSE OF THE VILLAGE BOARD. NICK, THAT WASN’T A LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN WITH. WHERE DO THINGS STAND TONIGHT? RIGHT. THERE WERE THREE FULL TIME AND NINE PART TIME OFFICERS, UH, THREE MONTHS AGO. NOW THEY’RE DOWN TO SIX TOTAL WITH ONE FULL TIMER. AND ONE OF THE RESIGNING OFFICERS TOLD ME TONIGHT THERE ARE MORE RESIGNATIONS TO COME. I SHOULD MENTION THAT I DID REACH OUT TO THE VILLAGE BOARD PRESIDENT EARLIER TODAY FOR COMMENT, A

Updated: 5:59 PM CST Dec 29, 2023

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Nearly half of police force resigns in one day

Big Bend officers blame Village Board

Updated: 5:59 PM CST Dec 29, 2023

Editorial Standards ⓘ

The yard signs and blue ribbons of support are still displayed in Big Bend, sprouting three months ago when the Village Board decided to disband the police department. After public pressure, they reversed themselves, but the damage was done.Five police officers abruptly resigned Thursday. One of them, Officer James Soneberg, spoke out at a Dec. 7 board meeting while in full uniform, leaving no doubt about how he felt."You are so full of it!" he said, shouting. "I am tired of the harassment of this Village Board. And all the crap I've been dealing with throughout the years."The head of the Fire and Police Commission resigned days later."I resigned because of the Village Board," Mark Andersen said Friday. He is the largest employer in Big Bend, and was the lone non-resident on the Fire and Police Commission.He said the sudden death of Big Bend Police Chief Don Gaglione in October could've helped unify community leadership. But he said it only fractured further."I feel bad for the residents of Big Bend. There is a clear division here in the village," Andersen said. He said the Village president's plan to dissolve the Fire and Police Commission this month was the last straw for him and the five officers quitting. “There very well could be a lack of service here,” Anderson said. “I know the Waukesha County Sheriff will fill in, so there will be coverage, but there will not be quick response because there's just no possible way for that to happen. And I feel bad about that because the people are leaving because of the Village Board.” Resigning officer Nate Schweitzer told WISN 12 News the department had three full-time and nine part-time officers at the beginning of September. With the loss of the chief and the five resignations, they’re down to one full-time and five part-timers, but Schweitzer says other resignations are expected. WISN 12 News contacted Big Bend Village President Jeff Goodman for comment Friday morning; however, he didn’t respond.

BIG BEND, Wis. —

Five police officers abruptly resigned Thursday. One of them, Officer James Soneberg, spoke out at a Dec. 7 board meeting while in full uniform, leaving no doubt about how he felt.

"You are so full of it!" he said, shouting. "I am tired of the harassment of this Village Board. And all the crap I've been dealing with throughout the years."

The head of the Fire and Police Commission resigned days later.

"I resigned because of the Village Board," Mark Andersen said Friday.

He is the largest employer in Big Bend, and was the lone non-resident on the Fire and Police Commission.

He said the sudden death of Big Bend Police Chief Don Gaglione in October could've helped unify community leadership. But he said it only fractured further.

"I feel bad for the residents of Big Bend. There is a clear division here in the village," Andersen said.

He said the Village president's plan to dissolve the Fire and Police Commission this month was the last straw for him and the five officers quitting.

“There very well could be a lack of service here,” Anderson said. “I know the Waukesha County Sheriff will fill in, so there will be coverage, but there will not be quick response because there's just no possible way for that to happen. And I feel bad about that because the people are leaving because of the Village Board.”

Resigning officer Nate Schweitzer told WISN 12 News the department had three full-time and nine part-time officers at the beginning of September. With the loss of the chief and the five resignations, they’re down to one full-time and five part-timers, but Schweitzer says other resignations are expected.

WISN 12 News contacted Big Bend Village President Jeff Goodman for comment Friday morning; however, he didn’t respond.

Nearly half of police force resigns in one day

Big Bend officers blame Village Board

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