Big Bend village board meets after 6 officers resigned, votes to leave commission intact

 

BIG BEND, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Big Bend village board met for the first time Thursday, Jan. 4, since six police officers announced that they're leaving. 

Residents filled the small meeting room. People also spilled out into the hallway and a number of them returned for public comment, expressing their frustrations and embarrassment at the way they say the village board has been operating.

Tensions are high a week after the announcement that half of Big Bend's police force decided enough is enough.

"It's just been bad leadership from the get-go. It's been secrets and lies and it's just impossible to work here. That's why we left," said Nate Schweitzer, one of the resigning Big Bend officers.

Six turned in their resignations, including Nate Schweitzer and Joseph Honzelka, both still grieving the loss of their beloved Chief Don Gaglione.

"I used to joke with people when they'd see me somewhere and they'd say 'what are you doing working here?' And I'd point to the chief and say, 'who can say no to his big brown eyes,' and then he'd look over and smile," said Joseph Honzelka, one of the resigning Big Bend officers.

Chief Gaglione passed away suddenly in the midst of a village in turmoil as the board was moving to get rid of the police department.

"He had a really good way of just pulling people together, finding the problem that needed to be solved and getting the problem solved, just really getting into it," said Honzelka.

At Thursday night's meeting, the son of Chief Gaglione expressing a public thank you to the community his father served, but also saying he's concerned with so many vacancies now in the department.

"And since my dad's passing, I've been unable to locate any postings in an attempt to hire police personnel including police officers, sergeant or chief positions for the Village of Big Bend," said Don Gaglione Jr.

One department official said, "If someone dials 911 a police officer will come, it may not be an officer in blue. It may be an officer in brown. We have an agreement with the sheriffs dept. They're gonna help us out."

But public comments were critical of the board's decisions regarding public safety.

"This is completely ridiculous the way you guys have bullied your way in the village and made the police look, the good police department retire or resign," said one resident.

"Five people want to retire in one day, it's not the team that's the problem, it's the leadership," said one resident.

The board started the night pointing to the elephant in the room, what to do about the police and fire commission.

Despite actions at the last meeting, they voted to leave the commission intact.