Law enforcement officers, citizens recognized for exemplary service
By Jennifer Eisenbart lifestyles@dailyunion.com |
Posted: Monday, January 22, 2018
                        

“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” said Bump, the association’s current president. “Then I wondered, did I say that?”

As it turned out, Theodore Roosevelt first uttered those words. But they and others Bump had jotted down throughout the years were well taken, as the chief summed up what that evening’s awards were all about: “doing right anyway.”

Honored at the banquet were Watertown Officer Mike Roehl as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Palmyra’s Emil Johnson as Citizen of the Year, Jones Dairy Farm of Fort Atkinson as the recipient of the Community Excellence Award, Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Monica Hall as Support Person of the Year, Jefferson Police Officer Rocco Bartolotta as CIT Law Enforcement Officer, and Alexis Brown as Youth of the Year.

Bump also gave the President’s Award to the University of Wisconsin Med Flight organization.

The banquet was held at Turner Hall in Watertown, with law enforcement officials and officers and area dignitaries in attendance for the meal and presentation.

Officer of the Year

Mike Roehl was introduced by Watertown Police Chief Timothy Roets, who outlined the efforts Roehl gave in a domestic incident on Aug. 8 of 2017.

Roets explained that the domestic incident involved a male with two knives in a narrow back stairway, with his girlfriend and two children still stuck in the second-floor apartment with only the door between them and the suspect.

As Roets explained, the subject said, “Someone’s going to die, either me or you.” Roehl managed to find a safe position in the stairwell where he could both see the suspect and guard against any action he took, and started what turned into a two-and-a-half hour negotiation.

“Officer Roehl remained calm,” Roets said. “Mike did a fantastic job of keeping him right where he was, neither attacking the police nor attacking the girlfriend and the children.”

Roets added that many officers were starting to feel a “deadly-force incident” was “inevitable.” The suspect had, according to Roets, inflicted wounds on himself and stabbed the walls.

However, the suspect abruptly surrendered and Roehl then had to switch from negotiation mode to taking the suspect into custody.

In accepting the award, Roehl said many people deserved credit, including numerous other members of the police department.

“That call was extremely draining,” he said.

Roehl thanked Roets and the department for taking “a chance” on a crazy old dude who decided to be a cop,” as Roehl spent time in other careers before becoming a police officer.

Citizen of the Year

Emil “Joe” Johnson was honored for the help he provided to Palmyra emergency services following an airplane crash in Palmyra Nov. 26, 2017.

Palmyra Police Chief James Small presented the award, praising Johnson’s actions after the aircraft crashed into a swampy area.

“Joe (Johnson’s nickname) went down to find a point to access this. Well, he called 911 first,” explained Small. “Went down, directed our staff into this. Cut a path in for our responders, several-hundred feet.”

Johnson’s actions, Small said, saved all of emergency services time by cutting a path through the woods to the crash site.

“One of the things that came up repeatedly in the technical debrief of this call was Joe’s help,” Small said. “Without him, we would have had to assign additional responders to create the path he created.”

Small also pointed out that two men were critically injured in the crash, and the time saved enabled rescue personnel more time to help the victims.

The chief also pointed out Johnson’s dedication to Palmyra as a retired teacher.

“He’s done a lot to help the community,” Small said. “We thank you for that.”

Johnson accepted the award, but did not speak, joking later that they would all still be there if he’d been given the microphone.

“I was really honored to get it,” Johnson said later in a telephone interview. “But I was baffled for getting an award for doing something you just do.”

Community Excellence Award

Jones Dairy Farm was recognized with the Community Excellence Award for its commitment to the Fort Atkinson area.

“When I first came to Fort Atkinson three years ago, I quickly learned how supportive Jones Dairy Farm is,” said Bump. “Both with our police department and our city.”

Bump credited Jones Dairy Farm for sponsoring equipment and training for the police department, adding that its president, Philip Jones, frequently calls the department.

“What can we do, how can we help you?” Bump said Jones asks. “There’s always this really strong partnership. Without it, we couldn’t do a lot of the stuff we do today.”

This year, the department updated its less-lethal force options with help from Jones Dairy Farm, Bump said, adding that the company does “so much more” for the community.

“Jones Dairy Farm is a strong partner for us,” he said. “Supporting our Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, supporting our fire department, city hall. Anything that they can possibly do to be involved … you know that Jones Dairy Farm and their employees are going to be a part of it somehow.”

Jones thanked the chief and association for the honor.

“We don’t do the things in the community that we do to get recognition,” he explained. “But when we do get recognized, it’s greatly appreciated. But more importantly, it’s my chance to say thank you to all of you for what you do.”

He said that the communities being “safe and desirable places to live and work is really made possible by all you do,” he added. “It is our pleasure to help law enforcement.”

Support Person of the Year

Monica Hall received some of the biggest cheers of the night, as she is a favorite among law-enforcement personnel.

The Support Person of the Year award was presented by not just Bump, but the Fort Atkinson Police Department.

“This person has quickly become someone we greatly appreciate for the hard work she does each day,” Bump said.

He said said the work Hall does is “greatly appreciated,” and read the nomination. He cited her additional work on research and responses to requests for help, and said “ADA Hall has always made herself available when officers need the help.

“Many times, it’s the positive, ‘happy to help’ reaction that makes it so meaningful to the officers on the street,” he read, adding that her work on cases that were not a “slam dunk” especially is appreciated.

“Monica’s hard work and support are always visible,” Bump added.

Accepting the award, Hall joked that “the key is to never hand a lawyer a microphone, and a platform to speak.” However, she quickly took a more somber tone in describing her work, and how she explains it to her children.

“I’ve tried to explain it to them. I used to say that I help put the bad guys in jail,” Hall said. “I quickly realized that that is a completely inaccurate description of what I do for a living.

“Really, I support all of what you do,” Hall told the officers. “Really, I’m the public face that the jurors see, but I’m not doing any of the work.”

CIT Law Enforcement Officer Award

Rocco Bartolotta, an officer with the Jefferson Police Department, was presented the CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) Law Enforcement Officer Award by Kathi Cauley, Jefferson County Human Services Department director, and Jefferson Police Chief Ken Pileggi.

“The work we do at Human Services hinges on what you do every day,” Cauley said to the law enforcement officers present and the CIT team. “You make our communities safer and better places to live.

Cauley said the CIT team works with those suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues, and more than 100 officers in Jefferson County have undergone the training

“We really do consider you our everyday heroes,” Cauley said.

She read the nomination, which involved Bartolotta’s handling of a subject who was struggling. The subject wanted a cigarette, which Bartolotta provided, and then the officer proceded to be empathetic and kind. She said that Bartolotta earned the person’s trust, which led to the best possible outcome.

According to Pileggi, Bartolotta jumped at the chance to take the training after starting with the department as a part-time officer in 2016. He became full time in January 2017, and did the CIT training in June of last year.

“He modeled the community policing concept, which is something we strive for,” Pileggi said, adding that the officer has received numerous letters of commendation.

“There’s no doubt he’ll be a future leader in our department,” he added.

Bartolotta got up to accept the award, and his son, Damian, ran up to join him. The officer thanked his family for all of its support.

“We have to work odd shifts and so forth, so the support I have from him and the rest of my family means all the world to us in law enforcement,” said Bartolotta.

He thanked Human Services for the nomination, as well as his chief and other members of the department.

“Personally, I feel that I didn’t do anything special,” he said. “This is our job, what we’re supposed to do. To make this situation less of a crisis was what made it most successful.”

Youth of the Year Award

Alexis Brown, a junior at Jefferson High School, has been a member of the Fort Atkinson Police Department’s Explorer Post, and Chief Bump said they shared the credit with Jefferson.

She has been a member of the Explorers since 2015, and has helped with traffic and foot patrol with the organization.

She has a 3.9 grade-point average, and is a member of several different bands at the school. Brown plays softball, has a part-time job at McDonald’s and has competed in Skills USA, making it to nationals.

Brown also was named Explorer of the Year by the State of Wisconsin in 2017.

Bump was accompanied at the presentation by Officer Bobby Strandt, who has served as a mentor for Brown.

Brown was surprised by the recognition.

“I’m very thankful for this award,” she said. “I did not see it coming; it was a surprise. I was very grateful for it.”

She thanked her parents, and also thanked the Fort Atkinson Police Department.

“I wouldn’t know what I know without them,” she said.

President’s Award

Bump joked when it was time to present the President’s Award that he was struggling to come up with the best possible recipient.

“This is a big deal,” said Bump. “I’ve got to get it right.”

So Bump went and asked his wife.

“I don’t even think she let me finish the sentence,” he recalled.

UW Med Flight was established in 1985, and Bump said that the air medical service is critical to rural Jefferson County as it lies in between the cities of Madison and Milwaukee.

Bump said the flight service has been “very visible in Fort Atkinson in the last year,” and there are Jefferson County and Fort Atkinson emergency personnel who serve on UW Med Flight.

“UW Med Flight provides so much service to us,” Bump explained. “We’re kind of just in that little in between.”

Bump added that it is reassuring to have Med Flight on the way to help, and to have such terrific support personnel. He added that it became “even more obvious” with the local personnel on Med Flight.

Frank Erdman, Med Flight’s Critical Care Transport manager, said that in the past year, UW Med Flight has responded to 76 of “the most injured and ill patients you have in Jefferson County.

“We’re really grateful and humbled to receive this award,” Erdman said. “We’re extending to you our thanks for the opportunity to serve and work with you.

“We look forward to working for you and with you in the future,” he added.