[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6655341,"mediaKeyId","5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88","parentId",5402670,"title","Co‑responder teams pair deputies and clinicians to handle mental‑health crises across Washington County","audioSeconds",1615,"startMs",2693000,"endMs",4308000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88&start=2693&end=4308","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88/thumbnail_2693000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6655341/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Coresponder-teams-pair-deputies-and-clinicians-to-handle-mentalhealth-crises-across-Washington-County","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655341-6725e73b12aa83d1fa69a0d4d11651b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775120371&Signature=gSUO84mWuK0jdIX1EDk1Tq2z1MSHzb6NXvqVTt-mO93a8usBIXfrLcnGORW1THBwGJsOW5YDB5YzHv1YQdZecq8LZzjsYvAANwqVUhtG0dPmrs7RrYxafKwXzhlUWfy1YFnDMm3neVLGtjoI5Q2bOrrSBfC7P28RU3kzfv1E-U6sj-AKw16OIIEHGsfxHKChX0ITyN7V22z8xv2aT~KjK27e52hvMgs00MMZfkGOKn7XMTTx8ZPZ0rLGWtqGcUyWHMgWuegseFJGCYNofuLyhlQpohlkTl~LyHJqwNhIXmY02g-b5rtO9XxkgQ8qJn8jcFcNyr6BxhpkqqcfzlRY1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County, WI ","date","2025-07-16T11:58:58Z","article","Deputy Blake DeMonk and clinicians Dave Arndt and Abigail Rebecchi told the Public Safety Committee June 26 that Washington County’s co‑responder unit pairs deputies with clinicians to respond to mental‑health crises, provide follow‑up and reduce unnecessary emergency responses.

The unit comprises four teams, each made up of one deputy and one master’s‑level mental‑health clinician. Teams operate on overlapping rotations that provide coverage from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; the unit does not routinely operate an overnight third shift. The teams are embedded with the sheriff’s office and respond together to appropriate calls, with clinicians having read‑only access to law‑enforcement records and deputies having read‑only access to county clinical records to aid coordination.

Deputy DeMonk said the unit works by referral from municipal police departments in the county; clinicians described building rapport through repeated voluntary contacts to keep individuals “under the radar” and reduce repeated emergency responses. The presenters reported about 550 new people served between 2024 and 2025 (the presenters said the number has increased since that slide was prepared and that total unique people served is likely closer to 900). The unit averages many more contacts when follow‑ups are included: one case described involved 27 contacts with a single client.

Presenters gave four case examples: a death‑notification handled with sensitivity after an out‑of‑state homicide; an elderly couple held at gunpoint following two break‑ins in 24 hours, where the unit provided on‑scene and victim‑impact support; a long‑term case of a man with schizophrenia who had 22 prior law‑enforcement contacts and no subsequent contacts after intensive follow‑up; and a multi‑county hostage/standoff in which the unit assisted Ozaukee County’s negotiation team and offered on‑scene support to an evacuated neighbor.

The unit emphasized crisis‑negotiation training (FBI week‑long course for all unit members), active‑listening skills and the role of clinicians in high‑stress scenes. Presenters said their services are voluntary and that the unit frequently provides follow‑up through longer‑term case management and referral to psychiatry, therapy and other resources. The presenters said the unit has served people from municipalities across the county and that they often participate in victim‑impact proceedings to support survivors.

Committee members and the sheriff thanked the team; the committee noted the co‑responder model addresses key county needs identified in the annual report, including jail mental‑health pressures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Safety Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Washington County’s co‑responder unit — four teams pairing a deputy with a clinician — reported serving about 550 new people between 2024 and 2025, offering follow‑up, crisis negotiation support and victim assistance while operating 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.","taxTitle","Washington County, Wisconsin","taxId",5137,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6655345,"Sheriff's 2024 annual report shows budget overrun, staffing pressures and rising jail daily population",1115,1071000,2186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88&start=1071&end=2186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88/thumbnail_1071000.jpg","/articles/6655345/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Sheriffs-2024-annual-report-shows-budget-overrun-staffing-pressures-and-rising-jail-daily-population","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655345-31f61bb86aa9fcfcb33fb7f9059d9cb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775120372&Signature=YCPjjTyzyY5gJtM95QiaVxSOXrcPPSkh92-ViWgDW6Wx696KvniWxljeyyivT6RQQIZHidzpouPBAK3vn1WakNytvd4mkTXXieQGsIGsXjJ7x20PqpmZVi3bFNRSg9S6A5YUKhOOKZAcatZcT~SQTBTdbefH0Fyv-KxdtiXwi4u8fcdl-HjKdaE~84UCU5jNqCVY3VOKNvmCTyF7-LZ8hod6jL1RVXkYY9SgVrZa2UVQdST6~1RnxN5GnNn4vyfFAWcCKvhY5a11qE3eTV3ODaSRULg8kkxJbdWbnHMK-ZBT2BPMN8Awu7AvMgOiBc325dBjKUUla-UMZo9S4oe0yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Washington County Sheriff's Office presented a 41‑page 2024 annual report to the Public Safety Committee on June 26 that the sheriff described as a historical record of staffing, operations and finances for the agency.

Sheriff Schulteis told the committee the agency’s total 2024 budget was $26,400,000, with $21,500,000 funded by the county levy. The sheriff said final expenditures were about 2.6% over budget — roughly $691,000 — attributing much of the overrun to jail overtime, minimum‑staffing requirements and a budgeting vacancy‑offset mechanism known as contra wages that did not match actual hiring patterns.

The report itemized patrol and corrections staffing and operational statistics. The sheriff said patrol consists of 59 patrol deputies (including three contract deputies assigned to the Village of Richfield and a shared position with the Town of West Bend), three lieutenants, nine sergeants and specialized units including a multi‑jurisdictional SWAT team (23 operators, 15 from the sheriff’s office) and a field force team beginning implementation with 26 identified members. The agency reported 43,000 calls for service in 2024 and six fatal crashes, down five from 2023.

Captain Laymon summarized corrections data: the adult jail has 321 beds and the juvenile secure detention facility has 26 beds; total bookings in 2024 were 3,868 (3,607 adults and 261 juveniles). The adult average daily population (ADP) rose from 170 in 2023 to 200 in 2024, producing an overall ADP increase of about 11.3% year‑over‑year. Laymon said the jail’s primary operational challenges remain opioids and mental‑health needs; the county provides in‑jail education through the West Bend School District’s Washington Street School.

Captains and staff highlighted contracted services: medical care by Advanced Correctional Healthcare was increased from 128 nursing hours to 208 hours weekly; food services were provided by Summit (202,575 adult meals served in 2024 and 9,929 juvenile meals); and the electronic monitoring program averaged 10 participants per day in 2024, down from 14 in 2023.

Captain Robert Stacer reviewed administrative and communications topics, describing the countywide radio system buildout (microwave ring, HVAC upgrades and UPS installations at tower sites) and an expected transition off rented towers in October. Stacer said the communications/dispatch center was seven dispatchers and two supervisors short of authorized staffing and that consolidation (Hartford in 2024 and Germantown ongoing) increased calls; Hartford’s consolidation contributed an estimated 7.2% call increase. He described two PSAP grants: a 90/10 grant that funded Hartford consolidation elements and a 2025 PSAP grant (approx. $740,000, 90/10) to support Germantown consolidation and a move from analog to redundant VoIP phone lines in dispatch.

Committee members thanked staff for the report and emphasized mental‑health pressures in the jail and the county’s reliance on public‑safety staffing to provide daily services. Several committee members praised leadership and frontline staff; the committee deferred several additional reports to the next meeting due to time constraints.","The Washington County Sheriff's Office presented its 2024 annual report June 26, reporting a $26.4 million budget, a $691,000 (2.6%) overrun, persistent staffing shortages in communications and corrections, 3,868 total bookings and a rise in average daily adult jail population from 170 to 200.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6655351,"Washington County honors deputy for life‑saving rescue after crash and vehicle fire",283,125000,408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88&start=125&end=408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402670-e04fb25e32b7fe908407e78858e3fa88/thumbnail_125000.jpg","/articles/6655351/Washington-County/Wisconsin/Washington-County-honors-deputy-for-lifesaving-rescue-after-crash-and-vehicle-fire","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655351-33a66d656f56d96d3d9d1964e2472e82/orig.mp4?Expires=1775120372&Signature=oH-ZxFYpUYaeJ931IVhQz41xnalM0jOTp68LGvq-5SagEyUZ4rRCFDTTGds6JSWLe7cEKjB4sMwaKZsa0ik8jvPNxsXFB6WJ3Q1pQVOrJIDD-pnEsPEFLmoUfCQLl5PEal4aoIUcXC5nZA8EpOIk7udcZzRVjk1TVyzPZJCVeX0-fy1UKaiy3kOaAwYid4VfOpSTu2pTC7AWDSI40ufegbre0vTVWUNHsok9K0BcdHQvu41LSMJOgLddhhOIBv9u9LKyAj0c30IeANeZC-GAfmJRPoK9UtrFeX9x53GXO-5Lb61KilNXV1zEQ3dmefytCFYB66Rqf84mxJNPXLizsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Washington County presented a formal commendation June 26 to Deputy Anthony Rausch for removing an unresponsive driver from a crashed vehicle that caught fire after reports of a reckless driver on Interstate 41.

Sheriff Schulteis read the commendation at the Public Safety Committee meeting, saying Deputy Anthony Rausch “displayed outstanding courage, decisiveness, and professionalism” while responding to multiple 911 calls about a vehicle swerving on I‑41 and later locating the crash off State Highway 144 near Cedar Hills Drive. The sheriff said Rausch entered the vehicle after breaking a window, removed the unresponsive driver — described in the video as weighing about 185 pounds — and moved the person roughly 10 yards before flames intensified.

The commendation text delivered by the sheriff said deputies observed heavy damage, full airbag deployment and smoke from the engine compartment. Narcan was administered at the scene and the driver regained consciousness; the sheriff reported the driver later admitted to using fentanyl while driving to court and was arrested for OWI, third offense. Sheriff Schulteis said the vehicle was “soon fully engulfed” and the interior was destroyed before firefighters extinguished the fire.

Committee members praised Rausch’s calm, decisive actions during the incident and the sheriff’s office screened edited body‑worn camera footage and still photos for the committee. The presentation noted Rausch joined the agency in the jail in May, attended recruit school and received an academic excellence award at the academy before transferring to patrol on April 7.

The committee recorded the item on the agenda as an agency commendation and no roll‑call vote on the commendation was recorded in the transcript. The sheriff concluded the item by presenting the written commendation to Deputy Rausch and showing the edited audiovisual evidence.","Washington County presented a commendation June 26 to Deputy Anthony Rausch after he rescued an unresponsive driver from a burning vehicle following a high‑speed crash on June 26, 2025; the driver later admitted to fentanyl use and was arrested for OWI third offense.","actionData","errors"]

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Co‑responder teams pair deputies and clinicians to handle mental‑health crises across Washington County

Sheriff's 2024 annual report shows budget overrun, staffing pressures and rising jail daily population

Washington County honors deputy for life‑saving rescue after crash and vehicle fire