MONROE - The Monroe Police Department released its 2016 annual report this month, and with it plans for improving the department this year.
Monroe Police chief Fred Kelley said one of his main goals for the department this year is to engage more directly with the Monroe community.
"That means more bicycle or walking patrols, more face-to-face interaction with people," Kelley said. "It's still traditional policing, but in an older style."
Kelley said he feels it is important for citizens to understand that the police are a part of the community as well, "not just an enforcement arm or an occupying army."
"People end up seeing the police as being in conflict with the community, and we want to prevent that," Kelley said.
Kelley said he also plans to replace some of the department's electronic equipment, which he said is currently reaching the end of its useful lifespan.
However, replacing the equipment may be difficult: According to the 2016 report, the department's budget has not increased at all since 2000.
"We try to keep to those things that we need," Kelley said, adding that managing day-to-day operating costs is simple enough, while the department has been able to absorb other cost increases.
The report also detailed crime statistics, which demonstrated that property crimes including burglary and vehicle theft increased slightly from 2015, while most violent crimes remained even, although simple assaults nearly doubled from last year.
"In my experience, the crime rate here is relatively static," Kelley said. "It's constant - which isn't necessarily great - but it's manageable. Unfortunately, a lot of it is luck; the police don't directly control the crime rate."
The report also suggests that opiate use in Monroe is on the rise, but the most abused drugs in the area are alcohol and marijuana. There were 13 arrests for possession of marijuana and 29 arrests for drunk-driving cases in 2016 but only two arrests for opiate possession.
"Based on our work with the State Line Anti-Narcotics Task Force, our source city for heroin seems to be Rockford," Kelley said. "Of course, Rockford's source city is Chicago, but we don't really know why people here are getting heroin from Rockford and not, say, Madison."
Kelley said the department would work with a statewide initiative to curb heroin use and trafficking in Wisconsin this year and that working closely with the community would help them get a better grasp on what problems it faces.
"Small towns have that ability to work closely with people," Kelley said. "We can find a solution to what's going on and fix it so we don't have to keep dealing with it."
Monroe Police chief Fred Kelley said one of his main goals for the department this year is to engage more directly with the Monroe community.
"That means more bicycle or walking patrols, more face-to-face interaction with people," Kelley said. "It's still traditional policing, but in an older style."
Kelley said he feels it is important for citizens to understand that the police are a part of the community as well, "not just an enforcement arm or an occupying army."
"People end up seeing the police as being in conflict with the community, and we want to prevent that," Kelley said.
Kelley said he also plans to replace some of the department's electronic equipment, which he said is currently reaching the end of its useful lifespan.
However, replacing the equipment may be difficult: According to the 2016 report, the department's budget has not increased at all since 2000.
"We try to keep to those things that we need," Kelley said, adding that managing day-to-day operating costs is simple enough, while the department has been able to absorb other cost increases.
The report also detailed crime statistics, which demonstrated that property crimes including burglary and vehicle theft increased slightly from 2015, while most violent crimes remained even, although simple assaults nearly doubled from last year.
"In my experience, the crime rate here is relatively static," Kelley said. "It's constant - which isn't necessarily great - but it's manageable. Unfortunately, a lot of it is luck; the police don't directly control the crime rate."
The report also suggests that opiate use in Monroe is on the rise, but the most abused drugs in the area are alcohol and marijuana. There were 13 arrests for possession of marijuana and 29 arrests for drunk-driving cases in 2016 but only two arrests for opiate possession.
"Based on our work with the State Line Anti-Narcotics Task Force, our source city for heroin seems to be Rockford," Kelley said. "Of course, Rockford's source city is Chicago, but we don't really know why people here are getting heroin from Rockford and not, say, Madison."
Kelley said the department would work with a statewide initiative to curb heroin use and trafficking in Wisconsin this year and that working closely with the community would help them get a better grasp on what problems it faces.
"Small towns have that ability to work closely with people," Kelley said. "We can find a solution to what's going on and fix it so we don't have to keep dealing with it."