Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
The Shawano Police Department will host a special question-and-answer session next month geared to the Native American community.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14 at City Hall, 127 S. Sawyer St.
Police Chief Mark Kohl said the event is part of the increased community outreach the department has undertaken over the past two years to develop a closer relationship between police and citizens of Shawano.
“Any police department worth their weight has to be responsive to the community they serve,” Kohl said.
That also means having a staff that reflects the community, he said, including Native Americans, which make up the second-highest ethnicity in Shawano.
Officer Tony Escalante, who came to Shawano last year from the Menominee Tribal Police Department, will oversee the May 14 session, along with other Shawano officers.
Kohl said there haven’t been any issues or complaints that sparked the May 14 event.
“We have to monitor perceptions within the community, whether correct or not, examine crime trends, community unemployment and many other factors in how we serve,” he said.
Kohl said the Native American Q&A was similar to the department’s police academy, which is intended to strengthen the department’s relationship with the community.
Kohl acknowledged, however, that there has been a perception of bias against Native Americans in the past, some of it expressed in social media.
Kohl served as chief in 2001 and returned to take over the department again in 2014.
“I lived with that negative perception the first time I was here, when the prior police chief made comments that were reported that gave a negative perception towards law enforcement and the Native American,” he said. “As a result, we made strides in building relationships with our community and Native American neighbors to work together in making our community safer and a great place to live and work.”
Kohl said the complaints and perceptions in social media are “nonexistent” today, but added that the department should continue to build upon its success.
Kohl said he doesn’t necessarily expect to see a noticeable change as a result of the Q&A, except a possible increase in reported crime.
“If a victim believes the police will do a fair and impartial job, they’ll be more likely to report those crimes,” he said. “In reality, most people are afraid of being victims of crime even if they haven’t experienced victimization up to that period. Building upon our relationships with our neighbors will begin the process of creating stronger partnerships with our community members in an effort to reduce crime and disorder.”
The four-hour session is free. Frybread, chili and tacos will be served.
For questions or to reserve a spot, contact Tony Escalante at 715-524-4545 or tony.escalante@co.shawano.wi.us.