Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Klueckmann, Lindner, Mabie, Pokallus, Bembnister, Aumann, Zawislan, Listeman, Franz, Thell, Ott, Taylor
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 10/08/2014
Klueckmann, Police Chief Scott (New Neillsville Chief of Police - 2014)
New Neillsville Police Chief Scott Klueckmann strikes a pose Thursday outside the police department office.
Klueckmann was name police chief by the Police and Fire Commission at its Sept. 29, 2014 meeting.
By Todd Schmidt
Officer Scott Klueckmann, 46, a 24-year law enforcement veteran, is now the chief of the Neillsville Police Department (NPD). Klueckmann replaces former Police Chief Brad Lindner, who retired effective Sept. 30.
The Police and Fire Commission (PFC) met in closed session Sept. 29 to discuss the matter. They interviewed Klueckmann in closed session and decided to offer the position to him.
“I think the hiring process went very well,” Mayor Steve Mabie said. “It went the direction I thought it would go. Scott Klueckmann was the only internal applicant for the position. We are confident he will do a fine job as police chief.”
Klueckmann’s salary was set at $50,000 annually, with a bump to $51,000 annually after six months on the job.
The PFC decided Sept. 15 to post the police chief job opening internally for 10 days before seeking outside applicants for the position.
Klueckmann worked for two-years as a part-time reserved deputy with the Clark County Sheriff’s Department while he was obtaining his degree in police science at CVTC. He was hired as a part-time officer for the NPD in 1991 and as a full time officer in 1992.
Throughout his career, Klueckmann has served the NPD in many different roles. He became a fire-arms instructor (1998) and a tactical rife instructor (2002). In 2012, Klueckmann became a Taser instructor. He is currently responsible for training all NPD officers in the legal, ethical and responsible use of force as it relates to all three of those weapons.
In 2001, Klueckmann became the field-training officer for all newly hired NPD officers. From 2002 to 2010, Klueckmann had the privilege of serving as the canine handler and trainer for the newly formed K-9 unit.
“During that period I specialized in narcotics detection and enforcement as well as canine-related patrol operations in Neillsville, throughout Clark County and adjacent counties,” Klueckmann said.
He and Police Chief Lindner were responsible for researching, developing and implementing the first certified police canine program in Clark County.
In 2013, Klueckmann became the evidence room manager. He continues to work on his education online through the University of Phoenix. Klueckmann is seven classes away from earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Klueckmann is a 1986 graduate of Neillsville High School. He attended college at UW-River Falls for one year, and then returned to Neillsville for two years to work as an attendant at the Holiday Station before seeking a degree at CVTC.
Klueckmann served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard from 1988 to 1996. He was promoted to platoon sergeant in 1991.
He currently serves at The Highground as a member of the Wisconsin Military Working Dog Committee and at the Living hope Evangelical Free Church as an alder and church chairman.
Klueckmann has had opportunities to pursue his career in other places, but Neillsville has always called him back. “God clearly ahs me here for a reason, so I know this city is where I belong,” he said. “As a police officer, I love being a part of the team responsible for the protection of this community. I love the people her, even the difficult ones.
“I know the people by their first name and they know me by my first name. I can think of no better place to spend my life and career than in continued public service to this wonderful city.”
Klueckmann sat at his new desk in the police department Thursday and shared some observations about his new chapter in law enforcement.
Now that Klueckmann has been promoted, there is an opening for sixth officer in the department. The city council will have to consider filling the position or not, with input from the PFC and the Personnel Committee.
“We really need that sixth officer,” Klueckmann said. “I will ask the city to proceed with hiring someone. Having the position open affects us dramatically as we offer coverage 24/7.”
“It also affects city taxpayers in the pocketbook, as the remaining four officers (detective Jeff Pokallus and officers Aaron Bembnister, Jacob Aumann and Ben Zawislan) must fill the open shift with additional costs for overtime.
He said the PFC has a short list of candidates from the last officer hiring process. Mabie swore in Zawislan at the Jan. 14, 2014 city council meeting.
“Everyone we interviewed at that time seemed very community minded,” Klueckmann said. “The state says police officers must live within a 15-mile radius of the community. There are implications about living in the community you don’t think about. I think Police officers should be engaged in community activities to increase trust.”
Klueckmann has trained all the officers on the young Neillsville force, with the exception of the veteran Pokallus.
“It wouldn’t take the criminal element long to figure it out if we did not provide coverage 24/7,” Klueckmann said. “The Clark County Sheriff’s Department is running into a budget crunch also. Having a local police department staffed 24/7 means a response time within two minutes anywhere within the city.”
On a side note, police union negotiations are in progress. The current union contract expires Dec. 31.
He said a major goal is bringing back the canine program. “We need the canine to help us combat drugs,” Klueckmann said. “We are getting more calls and complaints about drugs. A canine is a wonderful tool in dealing with those issues.”
Funding is in place to revive the canine program, Klueckmann said. Much of the original canine funding came from private donations, the Listeman Foundation and the Franz estate. He estimated the annual expense at $20,000 to run a canine program.
He said one current member of the department has expressed interest in becoming the canine officer. One major criterion is having two years of experience with the department.
“We are not there yet,” Klueckmann said, estimating it would take another year or two to make an officer eligible as a canine officer.
“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he said. Klueckmann said the former vendor, Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, IN, would be the optimum location to obtain another canine and provide training.
When the Neillsville canine program was interrupted in 2010, Klueckmann began re-evaluating his career track. Department staffing levels fluctuated with the resignation of Officer Robert Thell and the retirement of Officer Mark Ott. Instead of committing to another stint as the canine handler, Klueckmann shifted his focus to administration.
“I began watching Chief Lindner, how he made decisions and what the implications of those decisions were.” Klueckmann said. “I began looking at the big picture and thinking things through. The police department has a lot of moving parts.”
Klueckmann discussed the situation with Lindner and his timetable for retirement. Klueckmann took additional training, including becoming certified in conducting background checks for new police officers.
I never gave Chief Lindner enough credit,” Klueckmann said. “There is a lot more responsibility to being police chief than what it looks like. Chief Lindner set up the transition very well. There is a good framework in place.”
That being said, Klueckmann things he will still look into additional training for new police chiefs offered by the Wisconsin Department of Justice covering leadership, policy, grant writing, budgeting and internal affairs.
Klueckmann wants to leverage technology more, enhancing the police department website and starting a Facebook page.
He is also researching police officer body cameras. They now have an average cost of $395 per officer, plus expenses for additional computer file storage.
“We have a media hungry culture, and video is very compelling,” Klueckmann said, “I want the public to see our officers are doing their job and doing it well. Having video available would have clarified things in the officer’s shooting of Ricky Taylor. There is the possibility a $2 million lawsuit could have been avoided by the cost of a video camera. That math is easy.”
Klueckmann is getting immersed in the police department budget for 2015. The 2014 budget is $387,000 for operations and personnel.
“I am looking at places to cut the budget,” Klueckmann said. “There is no place I can see we can trim. All programs we have are necessities.”
