Shorewood Hills Police Department

HISTORY

The Village of Shorewood Hills stands along the shores of Lake Mendota and adjacent to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The land on which the Village stands has had a long history. The vegetation was originally prairie and oak forest. Native Americans found the lake a good source of food and camped along its shores. White settlers came to the area when Madison was chosen as the capital of Wisconsin Territory in 1836. By the 1850s, much of what is now Shorewood Hills had been cleared for agriculture. As the City of Madison and the University of Wisconsin grew they expanded west and the area gradually urbanized. The Village of Shorewood Hills was founded in 1927 and remains a quiet enclave within the greater Madison area.

Since its inception in 1927, the Village of Shorewood Hills Police Department has continuously provided a high level of police service to village residents.  The village’s first Police Officer, E.W. Kelzenberg, was paid the sum of $95 a month to patrol the village streets for five hours each night and on Sundays - providing his own car.  Finally, in 1937, the village purchased its first squad car for $600, a Ford Model 74 standard 2-door sedan.                                                                                                                                    

The Police Department continued to evolve until, in 1942, Howard Dittmar, the village engineer, was appointed the first Chief of Police.  From 1942 until 1960 the village grew considerably and the police force increased to three persons.  In 1960 the Shorewood Hills Police Department consisted of Thomas (Frank) Ashworth (pictured left), Glenn Fisher, and Daniel Crawford.  Ashworth served as the Chief of Police for 14 years until 1974.  Although the actual size of the village has not greatly increased since 1960, due to the demand for more in-depth police protection, the department has expanded over the years.

At present and full strength, the Village of Shorewood Hills Police Department consists of six full-time Police Officers and approximately ten part-time officers.  A Chief of Police heads the department and is followed in command by the Lieutenant.  A full-time Detective oversees the investigations and is also responsible for a portion of the patrol duties.  Three other full-time Police Officers are employed and primarily focus on patrol.

The Shorewood Hills Police Department provides 24-hour police protection for the village.  Generally, just one officer is on duty at any given time, however, there are times when there are overlapping shifts.  When a full-time officer is unavailable to work, a part-time officer will work the shift.  Most of the part-time officers are employed by other departments in the area, such as the Middleton Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Department, or University of Wisconsin - Madison Police Department.

In addition to Police Officers, the Shorewood Hills Police Department also employs a year-round Community Service Officer (CSO).  The CSO position is non-sworn and is generally occupied by an individual who is studying police-related courses at a local college.  CSO’s will primarily focus on parking enforcement and bicycle education in the village and usually use police bicycles for transportation.  In addition to parking, CSO’s are capable of handling animal complaints, helping village residents, and assisting with projects around the Police Department.  An additional CSO is hired for the summer months.

Typically, each semester the Shorewood Hills Police Department will host an intern from a local college, usually UW-Madison.  Generally the interns obtain college credits by working a pre-determined number of hours at the department.  The internship program is an excellent opportunity for students to see first hand and participate in the day-to-day operations of a Police Department.  Interns at SHPD are usually assigned a number of police-related projects throughout their internship and also have the opportunity to do ride-alongs with officers.  If you are interested in an internship with the Shorewood Hills Police Department please contact the Lieutenant.

A full-time Administrative Assistant is also employed by the Police Department and works Monday through Friday.  A half-time Administrative Assistant helps with various duties, including managing the parking fines, court preparation, and helping the full-time Administrative Assistant as needed.

As you can see, many people and events have come together to make the Shorewood Hills Police Department what it is today.  It is truly a special village and Police Department.  While browsing the web page, if you have any questions about the village or its Police Department, please contact us!

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