The New Greendale Safety Center
5911 West Grange Ave Greendale, WI 53129
Opened October 1998
1-414-423-2121 or 911 for emergency service
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  Community Policing is a management approach that promotes community, government, business and police partnerships; proactive problem solving; and community engagement to address the cause of crime, fear of crime and other community issues. We must all cooperate together in addressing these problems; law enforcement needs community input and support. Benefits to community policing: · Positive relationships between police, citizens, and business working together · More effective in solving problems in the community as a team approach · Reduce crime and increase the quality of living in the community We ask people in the community to contact us individually or have a spokesperson for a neighborhood group and even business organizations. Some areas which we can assist the community in are: · Home security checks · Neighborhood problems · Juvenile problems · Business problems with Retail Theft, Bad checks, Employee Safety · Scams against the elderly The Greendale Police Department has in place a Department policy prohibiting racial profiling. The purpose of this policy is to define racial profiling and to clearly mandate a prohibition on racial profiling by all members of the Greendale Police Department. The policy addresses the proper procedures for conducting traffic stops as well as citizen contacts, administrative and supervisory initiatives, responsibilities of officers, identify issues and address them, supervisory actions to communicate the issues, monitor personnel, and extensive community outreach as well as educating the public on the duties and policies related to law enforcement. Policy: The Greendale Police Department does not condone nor will it tolerate race-based generalizations and acts, which include racial profiling, uttering racial epithets, or having law enforcement officers make decisions, based on any of these acts. Definition of Racial Profiling: Any police initiated action that relies upon race, ethnicity, or national origin of an individual rather than the behavior of that individual, or information that leads police to a particular individual who has been identified as being engaged in or having been engaged in criminal activity. There is almost uniform consensus about two corollary principles that follow from adopting this definition of racial profiling. a. Police may not use racial or ethnic stereotypes as a factor when selecting whom to stop and whom to search. b. Police may use race or ethnicity to determine whether a person matches the a specific description of a particular suspect. Other areas defined in this policy are: Probable Cause, Reasonable Suspicion, Race Based Generalization, Authority and Goals, General Provisions, Procedures, The 14th amendment, Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. A copy of the entire policy can be viewed or a copy purchased at the Greendale Police Department during Administrative hours of operation. As a member of the Milwaukee County Law Enforcement Executive Association we are working hard to implement policy against all racial profiling, and collecting data as recommended in the Governors Task Force as well as his Executive Order.
When you as a motorist are signaled by a police officer, by use of emergency lights and/or siren, you are to pull to the right side of the street and stop. If the police officer continues driving past you, you may proceed when it is safe to re-enter traffic. If the police officer pulls behind your vehicle he/she is conducting a traffic stop. To stop you, the officer must have reasonable suspicion that you have violated some law. A reasonable suspicion is more then a hunch or mere speculation, but less than the probable cause needed for an arrest. Please remain in your vehicle; avoid movements in the vehicle that would cause you, if you were a police officer, to think that the driver or passengers were either hiding something or obtaining a weapon. When the officer is ready he/she will approach your vehicle. The officer will introduce them self, explain why you were stopped, and ask for your drivers license. The officer may also ask passengers for identifications in some situations. The officer may also talk with you about the alleged violation. Please remain in your vehicle while the officer returns to his/her patrol vehicle, and again refrain from activity that may appear suspicious to any reasonable person. When the officer returns to your vehicle he/she may have a traffic citation for you. Perhaps, a written warning will be issued or a defect warning for an equipment violation. In some violations, citizens can be taken into custody for bail. In other cases the officer may have stopped you for an investigative reason other than a traffic violation. If a citation is issued do not attempt to dispute the citation on the street, the court will be the place to explain you view of the situation, and ask questions of the officer. It may be that you your vehicle or passenger fit the description of someone the police are trying to locate. The officer will inform you when you can leave after the traffic stop. If requested the officer will provide you with his/her name to refer to is you have questions at a later date, or if you wish to comment to our Department about the experience with the officer, whether good or bad. Both police and citizens have responsibilities and rights during traffic stops. COMPLAINT PROCEDURES By state law citizens have the right to file complaints against police officers and police department must have a policy on how complaints are handled. In cases of minor complaints or questions about a traffic stop, you can call the station and request to speak with the on duty supervisor. In minor complaints the supervisor will try to answer your questions and concerns, if necessary the supervisor will take down the information, speak with the officer and get back in contact with you to answer your questions, and bring your concerns to the attention of the officer. By state law, citizens can file a formal complaint against an officer. It is the policy of this department to accept, investigate and resolve any complaints filed by a citizen regarding the conduct of our law enforcement officers as well as civilians employed by the police department. Complaints from an anonymous source will be accepted only if the complaint has sufficient factual information to warrant an investigation. A Supervisor will accept all complaints with civility and courtesy. Citizens when making a formal complaint can contact the on duty supervisor and make an appointment to meet with them, or come into the station and ask to speak with the on duty supervisor. Citizens can also call the station and request from the on duty supervisor that complaint forms be sent to them. When the forms are complete they can either be brought into the station or mailed to the Office of the Chief of Police. All written complaints will be assigned to a supervisor for a complete investigation and forwarded to the office of the Chief. After a complete investigation and review of the complaint the citizen shall be informed in writing as to the out come of his/her complaint. Pursuant to section 62.13(5) of the Wisconsin Statutes you may, as an alternative, file your complaint with the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners. The complaint forms are available from any on duty supervisor 24 hours a day. The complaint will then be forwarded to the Chief of Police for investigation and resolution. If the matter is not resolved, the complainant may request a formal hearing before the Board of Police and Fire Commission. COMPLIMENTS After a contact with our department, if you wish to comment on our personnel, police service, use of police equipment, you may do so by several methods. If you have a compliment, you can write a letter to the Office of the Chief of Police, 5911 W. Grange Ave., Greendale, WI 53129. The letter will be forwarded to the officer, his supervisor, personnel file, Village Board, and the Police and Fire Commission. You may also e-mail in your compliments or comments to greendalepd@greendalepolice.org Our commitment is to serve and protect our community Sincerely, Robert J. Dams Chief of Police View our Frequently Asked Questions. Questions and answers to help serve you better. |
