(Waupun) The Waupun Police Department had several recent hires.
The agency welcomed to the force Officer Dean Hopp, who has over 25 years of law enforcement experience. Detective Krystal Konkel was also sworn-in and has approximately 10 years of experience in the roles of patrol officer and sergeant. She also has investigated complex internet crimes against children cases. Also joining the department is officer in training Charles Hansen, who had honorably served in the National Guard for 23 years. Hansen retired this year as an Infantry Sergeant First Class.
The department cannot make any more hires currently due to its staffing levels, which Chief Jeremy Rasch says is a good spot to be in.
“It’s huge…especially for burnout…you hear a lot of law enforcement and police, fire, and EMS…the burnout rate and it is true,” says Rasch. “But it also helps with community safety…doing more self-initiated activities. When you’re short of staff you don’t have the time to pull as many traffic stops or go to these ballgames and doing some of the community policing and things like that…so, it definitely helps with safety.”
Rasch notes that being fully staffed also helps improve morale at the station.
