Town of Polk, WI – The Hartford Police Department hosted the 2023 Washington County Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony May 17, 2023, at Washington County Fair Park, 3000 Hwy PV, West Bend.
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State Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler was one of the guest speakers.
It is my distinct honor to be here to memorialize the lives of law enforcement officers from Washington County who died in the line of duty. In doing so, we also recognize with gratitude the enormous sacrifices made by friends, colleagues, and family members left behind when an officer is killed. And we acknowledge the vital role law enforcement officers play in our lives and our communities.
We have with us representatives of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, police departments in Germantown, Hartford, Jackson, Kewaskum, Newburg, Slinger, Trenton and West Bend, as well as from the State Patrol and Department of Natural Resources.
We are called here to remember three officers whose names are engraved on both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial in Madison:
Germantown Police Officer Robert D. Backes was struck and killed by a car during a violent roadside struggle in March 1981. Officer Backes was 35 years old.
Deputy John M. Schmitt of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was a passenger in a squad responding to an emergency call on Labor Day 1998. He was killed in a multi-vehicle rollover accident at age 31.
Marshal Leonard George Frederich Scherger of the Hartford Police Department was shot to death while responding to a report of suspicious individuals at a railroad freight depot in May of 1904. Marshal Scherger was 33 years old.
One thing that strikes me about these officers is that they were young men, who otherwise had much of their lives ahead of them. They died in service to others. They answered the call when it came in, but they did not return home.
When most of us go to work each day, our families don’t have to worry much about dangers on the job. We are not called to intervene in inherently dangerous situations or into circumstances that potentially put our lives on the line. Yet that is what law enforcement officers do for us day-in and day-out.
Wisconsin was fortunate not to have any law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during 2022. However, as many of you know, this year has been different. The news reports have been startling and tragic.
So far in 2023, four Wisconsin law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. One officer was trying to arrest a robbery suspect; two were shot while conducting a traffic stop, and another was shot while responding to a report of a potentially drunken driver in a ditch. They answered the call answering the call but did not return home. This is the highest number of officers killed in the line of duty since 2000.
The law enforcement community is a close-knit, tightly bonded group. When a law enforcement officer falls, the law enforcement community grieves as a whole. The mourning that occurs is like no other. It comes from a depth of the soul and is truly like the loss of a sister or brother. I know each of you here today, whether or not you are a law enforcement officer, felt the pain of loss when you heard about these officers being killed.
As most of you may be aware, before joining the Supreme Court, I was a circuit court judge at the Washington County Courthouse. I am familiar with the sense of family among law enforcement.
Law Enforcement is much more of a calling than it is a job. We owe the people who have responded to this special calling a debt of gratitude.
Law enforcement is, unquestionably, a noble profession. The requirements of a good law enforcement officer include not only having courage but also humanity, compassion and discretion. Law enforcement officers are wise and alert and use their skills to prevent or detect crimes and protect us all. Law enforcement work sometimes requires split-second decision making and decisive action with high-stakes consequences.
My role as a Supreme Court justice also involves work in the law. However, compared to a law enforcement officer, my work runs in slow motion. Judges and justice are sometimes called upon to analyze the split-second decisions that law enforcement officers make under intense and life-threatening conditions. Judges have time to look back and review the record from a bird’s eye view in a controlled setting and within a deliberative framework.
I can tell you from personal experience that circuit court judges have great appreciation for law enforcement officers. Without law enforcement, the criminal justice system simply couldn’t function properly. Each case hinges on underlying police work.
Beyond that, judges rely on law enforcement officers to keep their courtrooms safe and operating smoothly. Many people who come to court do not want to be there and emotions run high. The mere presence of a bailiff helps provide order, and importantly, brings peace of mind to the courtroom.
Likewise, from my perspective, many of the rights that we enjoy and the security that we are allowed to feel in our homes and community is a direct result of the good law enforcement officers who are out there on the streets day in and day out.
I have the utmost respect and appreciation for our law enforcement community. And so, it is important to remember, not only today or this week, but every day and every week, a continued appreciation, respect and recognition of the service law enforcement provides for our communities, our families and our democracy. I close with a heartfelt thank you.
The program also featured guest speaker Hartford Mayor Timothy Michalak, followed by a rifle salute from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and Taps by retired patrolman Philip LaSpisa from the West Allis Police Department.
Washington County Law Enforcement Agencies will honor Washington County Law Enforcement Officers who died in the line of duty, and to pay tribute to all police officers throughout the country that have paid the ultimate sacrifice including Officer Robert D. Backes of Germantown P.D., Deputy John M. Schmitt with the Washington Co. Sheriff’s Department, and Marshal Leonard G.F. Scherger with the Hartford P.D.
