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Muskego police report drone‑assisted rescue, awards and staffing updates
Summary
Police Chief Westfall told the committee a drone helped locate a person in mental‑health distress on Big Muskego Lake, cited awards for officers and said staffing remains below ideal levels with two officers currently in academy training.
Police Chief Westfall reported several public‑safety developments to the Muskego City Public Works and Safety Committee on Oct. 28, including a recent rescue aided by a city‑approved drone, personnel updates and equipment improvements.
"We were able to find that individual relatively quickly through the use of a drone," Chief Westfall said, describing a search for a person in mental‑health distress on Big Muskego Lake. He said the drone allowed fire and rescue teams to locate the person and facilitate a safe pickup.
Westfall also recognized personnel milestones and awards: Officer Chris Dalidis and his canine partner, Tito, received recognition from school‑district personnel for innovations in school safety, and k9 coordinator Sean Dietrich has been instrumental in launching the canine program. He noted donations from a local house, Mariner Manor, are supporting the department's canine program.
On staffing, the chief said the department is operating below full staffing levels (the transcript reported the staffing level as an unspecified percentage). Two recruits remain in the police academy, which Westfall described as a roughly five‑month training course. He also told the committee the department will begin replacing older radar units and digital signage for speed enforcement as previously approved in capital projects.
The chief closed by reminding the committee that public‑safety decisions have operational implications beyond the line items on a budget sheet.
No committee action was required on the update.
