Police report highlights concentrated calls, narcotics seizures and downtown 400-block concerns

The Public Health and Safety Committee received the Wausau Police Departmentquarter-two operations report on July 21, which emphasized concentrated officer activity and community concerns on the downtown 400 block and noted significant narcotics seizures by the department's CRO unit.

The Police Chief told the committee the department had recorded roughly 130 CAD-designated situations involving the 400 block in the quarter and described hundreds of additional lower-level interactions that do not generate CAD numbers. The Chief said much of the community concern has focused on behavior and conditions on the block's stage and terrace areas and added, “constitutional rights are for everyone and we're not gonna violate anyone's.” The Chief and Deputy Chief Bate said they are conducting unannounced visits to downtown businesses to hear concerns and seek creative solutions to behaviors that, while not always criminal, can affect commerce.

The department reported "a pound of methamphetamine is a lot of methamphetamine" as an illustration of the scale of recent seizures and said the CRO unit also seized fentanyl and cocaine during investigations. The Police Chief described the seizures as "making a dent" and credited officers for their investigative work.

Committee members and staff said they expect downtown shelter and day-center stability will reduce pressure on the 400 block; the Police Chief said, "once we get some stability with shelter and day center that much of that will be mitigated." The committee placed the police report on file with no further action requested.