Kitzman, 12-year veteran of PCSO, promoted to sergeant

By Brandi Makuski

The Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office has a new sergeant on patrol.

Sgt. Dustin Kitzman was promoted to his new position before several of his coworkers on Jan. 12. Kitzman was a detective with the PCSO who’s just closed the Janet Raasch case, a cold case that was previously classified as a homicide when he learned he was being promoted.

Sheriff Mike Lukas said Kitzman was promoted because of his leadership skills and devotion to serving the public.

“He deserves it, he’s shown the department he’s got the skills and work ethic,” Lukas said.

The promotion means Kitzman is going back to shift work on patrol. He said he’s “looking forward” to spending more time in the community.

Kitzman’s already got a lifetime of experience under his belt. The 38-year-old—he’ll be 39 in April—has been with the PCSO for 12 years. Prior to that, he was an infantryman in the United States Army for four years, serving overseas in Afghanistan and during the invasion of Kuwait. After being honorably discharged, he got degrees from UW-Stevens Point and attended the police academy at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau.

“It was a personal pride thing, going to get an undergrad degree, being one of the few in my family to think about going to college,” Kitzman said of his college career, which was paid for via the G.I. Bill.

Kitzman is also one of the best snipers in the state. He’s finished in the top five of the annual ALERT (Advanced Law Enforcement Risk Training) shooting competition, which has competitors from more than 20 counties in Wisconsin, several times. In 2022, he finished first. The win gets Kitzman a cash prize of $1,200, and a cash prize of $10,000 for the PCSO, which Lukas said it plans to use for improvements to its shooting range in Dewey.

Kitzman is a SPASH graduate who lives in Stevens Point with his wife and three children.