Kenosha Police and Fire Commission refers citizen complaint to police department, approves three new officers

The Kenosha Police and Fire Commission voted Aug. 19 to refer a citizen complaint filed by Octavia Winters to the Kenosha Police Department for investigation and approved three probationary officer appointments.

Octavia Winters, who identified herself as "a mother, a citizen of Kenosha," urged the commission to investigate what she described as repeated failures by the Kenosha Police Department to act on evidence she provided. "When officers failed to enforce court orders or ignore admitted violations of custody rights, they are not failing me. They are failing my child and failing every family who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe," Winters said. She closed her remarks by saying, "Accountability is not an attack. It is the foundation of trust. And without trust, there's no justice."

The commission first received and filed Winters' complaint as part of the meeting record. After a short recess and a closed-session review of the matter, the commission returned to open session and a motion was made and carried to refer the information in Winters' complaint to the Kenosha Police Department for investigation.

Also on the agenda, the commission approved three probationary appointments: Gustavo Arellano to crime prevention officer, effective Sept. 1, 2025; Zachary Patterson to probationary police officer, effective Aug. 20, 2025; and Natasha Wagner to probationary police officer, effective Aug. 20, 2025. The commission's public summary of Arellano's background said he has served with the Kenosha Police Department since April 2016, is a certified crisis intervention team officer, helped launch the department's first youth academy and a special-needs registry, and is bilingual in Spanish. Patterson's and Wagner's personnel summaries list prior regional law-enforcement experience and relevant training and degrees.

The commission also took routine personnel and administrative actions. It received and filed the police and fire department reports for July; received and filed correspondence documenting the dismissal of a complaint filed by Trayvon Dawn Vaughn on May 13, 2025; received and filed a notice of termination for police officer Corina Langdon effective July 14, 2025; and received and filed the resignation of police officer Cody Williams effective Aug. 14, 2025.

Chiefs and commissioners offered congratulations to the new appointees and noted the department's youth and the benefit of adding experienced officers. The commission scheduled its next regular meeting for Sept. 16.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the July meeting minutes; received and filed the July police and fire reports; received and filed the dismissal of the Vaughn complaint; received and filed the Winters complaint; received and filed the notice of termination for Corina Langdon; received and filed the resignation of Cody Williams; approved the appointment of Gustavo Arellano (effective 09/01/2025); approved the appointment of Zachary Patterson (effective 08/20/2025); approved the appointment of Natasha Wagner (effective 08/20/2025); moved into and returned from closed session to review the Winters complaint; and moved to refer the Winters complaint to the Kenosha Police Department for investigation. All listed motions were recorded as carried in the meeting minutes.