Dodge County Chief Deputy Discusses Stresses Of Law Enforcement

(Juneau) Officials with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office say those who work in law enforcement put their lives on the line every day. Chief Deputy Scott Mittelstadt says whether it’s an officer out in the field or a correctional guard working inside of a prison, each individual deals with stressful situations. He says the men and women of law enforcement deal with people on their worst days. Mittelstadt says the law enforcement profession is often at the top of workplace studies on substance abuse, divorce rates and increased cases of suicide due to the high risk environment. During a recent appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment, Mittelstadt told us that every day he gets to work with heroes. He detailed a recent incident involving a domestic disturbance were the suspect was threatening to harm himself and have law enforcement bring harm against him. Mittelstadt says thanks to the calming presence of the deputies at the scene, the incident was resolved in a peaceful manner. He says a goal moving into 2019 will be to increase employee wellness programs in the sheriff’s office to help employee’s better deal with difficult situations.