Menomonee Falls police report flags staffing shortfall, touts decline in serious crime and new recruitment push

Chief Mark Waters, chief of the Menomonee Falls Police Department, told the Village Board on Jan. 20 that while the department is authorized for 65 sworn officers it routinely operates below that number and will seek additional hires in coming years.

Waters said the department ended 2024 with 63 sworn personnel on its roster and about 59 fully trained officers. Several recent hires were still in field training or the academy; multiple officers are scheduled for extended military leave this year, and the department has seen retirements and a resignation in early 2025. “We are stretched thin running our department at 55, 56 fully trained officers,” Waters said, and he told trustees he would be “seeking additional officers in the near future.”

The department hired new personnel in late 2024 and early 2025 and is using a police aide program to onboard future officers in support roles before they enter the academy. Waters said a professional recruitment video produced in 2024 will be published on the department’s website and social media beginning Jan. 21.

Waters also reviewed crime and enforcement data. For the year, the department recorded a 15% reduction in Group A offenses (the department’s classification for more serious crimes), and a modest overall increase in calls for service year‑over‑year. He reported that the village had no fatal motor‑vehicle crashes in 2024. “A year without any fatal injury accidents is outstanding,” Waters said.

On enforcement, the department saw a large uptick in enforcement activity in the fourth quarter and for the year: traffic citations rose sharply in Q4, written warnings and self‑initiated activity were higher, and criminal charges were up in some categories. Waters attributed some of the enforcement increase to having more officers available for self‑initiated activity.

Waters outlined equipment and training updates: the department added three vehicles in Q3 including a Chevrolet Tahoe for the support unit, acquired a DartMAX use‑of‑force simulator for training, and reported regular firearms and specialty training. Canine deployments, Flock automated enforcement results and use‑of‑force statistics were presented: six uses of force in Q4 out of roughly 8,100 calls for service and 44 uses of force for the year; there were no officer firearm discharges in 2024.

Trustees asked follow‑up questions about staffing levels and the decline in Group A crimes. Waters declined to attribute the drop to any single factor, saying those crimes “are a representation of the community” and not always explainable solely by police presence. He said the department will monitor localized crash clusters and directed patrols and may adjust deployment if patterns continue.

The report concluded with Waters asking the board to consider phased additions to sworn staffing to address the lag time required for hiring, academy training and field training.

Ending: The board had no formal vote on the presentation. Trustees thanked Waters for the report and for the recruitment materials; the department’s next steps include continuing recruitment and monitoring early‑year staffing and leave impacts.