Officers quit after Wisconsin town disbanded, reinstated police department

BIG BEND, Wis. (TND) — Five members of a Wisconsin police department resigned last week following a decision by the village board to reinstate the department after it had previously voted to disband it.

The Village of Big Bend in September reportedly voted to dissolve its police department in favor of allowing nearby Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department to take over village policing duties. The decision would lead to a savings of $250,000 annually for the village, FOX6 News Milwaukee reported.

The decision, however, was reportedly met with outrage from the community, including from officers who fought to save the department. Big Bend soon became inundated with yard signs voicing support for the police department.

In October, police chief Don Gaglione died by suicide, further spurring community support for the department.

“Let’s put out blue porch lights to honor the chief,” a user said on the village’s Facebook page. A number of users also posted about attending Gaglione's funeral and purchasing memorial t-shirts.

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Community outrage toward the board soon reached a fever pitch with some blaming Gaglione’s death on their decision to dissolve the police department. In November, members of the Big Bend Professional Police Association and Village of Big Bend Finance Committee met and agreed on a budget to fund the department through the end of 2024.

The damage, however, had already been done as officers continued to voice their disapproval of the board.

"I am tired of the harassment of this village board and all the crap I’ve been dealing with throughout the years," officer Jamie Soneberg yelled at board members during a December meeting.

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Five officers are now resigning from the Big Bend Police Department, representing nearly half of the force.

“All of the officers came from or currently work at other agencies,” the department wrote. “When including Chief Gaglione, these officers represent more than 125 years of total law enforcement experience. We wish them the best and sincerely thank them for their service to the Village of Big Bend and its residents over the past several years.”

Despite this information, the department remained firm it would not close its doors.

“Please be assured that when you dial 911, a police officer will respond,” it wrote. “There are still dedicated officers here and there will be an Officer in Charge to help lead the department forward in the new year. We will continue to serve and protect the Village of Big Bend.”

Neither Village of Big Bend board president Jeff Goodman nor the Big Bend Police Department immediately responded to a request for comment from The National Desk Tuesday.