Mission Statement

The Minocqua Police Department will enhance the quality of life in the community through our service to the public, protection of persons and property, impartial enforcement of the law, and partnership with the community.

Value Statement

In pursuit of this mission we, as an organization, have a set of values which guide our actions.  These values create a climate in which the daily delivery of quality services and support to our community occurs.  Consequently, both our individual and collective actions must be consistent with these values.

The police department exists to serve the community by protecting life and property; by preventing crime; by enforcing the laws, and by maintaining order for all citizens.

Our values are characteristics or qualities of worth.  They are non-negotiable.  Although we may need to balance them, we will never ignore them for the sake of expediency or personal preference.

We constantly hold our values before us to teach and remind us and the community we serve of our ideals.  They are the foundation upon which our policies, goals and operations are built.

In fulfilling our mission, we need the support of citizens, elected representatives and city officials in order to provide the quality of service our values commit us to providing.

WE, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE MINOCQUA POLICE DEPARTMENT VALUE

HUMAN LIFE

We value human life and dignity above all else.  Therefore:  we give first priority to situations which threaten life; we use force only when necessary; we treat all persons with courtesy and respect; and we are compassionate and caring.

INTEGRITY

We believe integrity is the basis for community trust.  Therefore:  we are honest and truthful; we are consistent in our beliefs and actions; we hold ourselves to high standards of moral and ethical conduct; we are role models for the community.

LAWS AND THE CONSTITUTION

We believe in the principles embodied in our Constitution and we recognize the authority of federal, state and local laws.  Therefore: we respect and protect the rights of all citizens;we treat all persons fairly and without favoritism;we are knowledgeable of the law;we enforce the law;we obey the law.

EXCELLENCE

We strive for personal and professional excellence.  Therefore:  we do our best; we have a vision for the future; we seek adequate resources - staffing, facilities, equipment, training, salaries, and benefits; we recruit and hire the best people; we train and develop our employees to their highest potential; we are committed to fair and equitable personnel practices; we provide organizational mobility; we recognize and reward good performance; we support reasonable risk-taking and are tolerant of honest mistakes; we are receptive to new ideas and change; we work toward realistic, mutually agreed upon goals; we meet nationally recognized law enforcement standards; we lead by example.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We are accountable to each other and to the citizens we serve, who are the source of our authority.  Therefore:  we communicate openly and honestly among ourselves and with the community; we understand the importance of community values and expectations; we are responsible to community concerns; we acknowledge our mistakes and are open to constructive criticism; we manage our resources effectively; we thoroughly investigate complaints against our employees.

COOPERATION

We believe that cooperation and teamwork will enable us to combine our diverse backgrounds, skills and styles to achieve common goals.  Therefore: we work as a team; we understand our role in achieving department and town goals and objectives; we share our responsibility to serve the citizens of Minocqua with many other agencies and organizations; we strive to understand those who disagree with us; we seek the help and cooperation of others; we seek to resolve conflict; we rely on community support and involvement; we work toward realistic, mutually agreed upon goals.

PROBLEM-SOLVING

We are most effective when we help identify and solve community problems.  Therefore: we work to anticipate and prevent problems; we give a high priority to preventing crime and helping citizens feel safe; we actively seek opinions and ideas from others; we plan, analyze and evaluate; we listen to problems and complaints with empathy and sensitivity; we seek innovative solutions.

OURSELVES

We are capable, caring people who are doing important and satisfying work for the citizens of Minocqua.  Therefore: we respect, care about, trust and support each other;we enjoy our work and take pride in our accomplishments;we are disciplined and reliable;we keep our perspective and sense of humor;we balance our professional and personal lives;we consult with the people who will be affected by our decisions;we have a positive "can-do" attitude;we cultivate our best characteristics - initiative, enthusiasm, creativity, patience, competence, and judgment.

Goal Statement

To be successful in our endeavor to keep Minocqua a safe and secure place to live and prosper, the Minocqua Police Department must depart from a traditional incident-driven approach to policing and implement a results-oriented systemic approach to the many problems that allow crime and disorder to exist and to grow.  To this end, we have embraced a philosophy of policing known as Problem-Oriented Policing.

Problem-Oriented Policing is an interactive process between police officers who are permanently assigned to specific districts and the citizens who either reside or work in these districts, to mutually develop ways to identify problems and concerns and then respond to these problems utilizing a wide range of methods and resources available from the police department, other government entities, or the community itself.

The overall goal is to create a cooperative relationship between the police and residents to identify problems that impact the quality of life, to devise strategies to address those problems, and to work together to solve them.

Specific objectives are:

To make the police an integral part of the community;

To provide an exchange of accurate information about crime, the community and policing;

To provide the community with an increased sense that the police care;

To engage the police and the community in mutual active resolution of issues of crime and disorder;

To establish trust and harmony between the community and the police;

To respond to the problems of crime and related law enforcement activity through efficient utilization of department and community resources;

To identify and resolve problems which will reduce the fear of crime and enhance the quality of life in the community;

To establish and improve internal communications and working relationships;

To establish an effective management team which utilizes department information and community input in defining service needs, law enforcement commitments, and affixes responsibilities to more efficiently respond to the concerns of the community;

To facilitate the acquisition, analysis, and utilization of information necessary to resolve community problems related to public safety;

To develop and implement objectives and strategies to efficiently utilize officers' uncommitted patrol time;

To develop the human resources of the department in a professional manner;

To enhance the personal growth of each department member;

To enhance employee opportunities to participate in the decision-making and problem solving process in identifying and resolving public safety problems;

To afford opportunities for self-management;

To attract and keep quality personnel.

Oath of Honor

On my honor, I will never betray my badge my integrity, my character, or the public trust.

I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the constitution my community and the agency I serve.