Lucy and her football come to the city’s PFC
By Dan Kontos
Let’s face it, the members of the Stevens Point Police Department have had a rough go of it lately.
Interim Police Chief Tom Zenner has been at the helm of the ship since last February, when former chief Martin Skibba was placed on administrative leave, and eventually resigned in June, after Skibba was caught drinking alcohol on duty.
After an entire year, Chief Zenner’s finger is still plugging the dike, while he waits for the Stevens Point Police and Fire Commission to find a permanent replacement. Zenner doesn’t want the job. He’s just about ready to slip into a well-deserved retirement. He’s only still there out of a sense of duty and loyalty.
Yes, yes, COVID is to blame for the delay. Heck, it’s the most convenient excuse there is to explain all of the woes that have befallen us all as of late. Right? From the closing of the Kwik Trip self-serve doughnuts to the downright un-American scumbaggery we have witnessed in our nation’s capital, and everything in between, the coronavirus is a ready explanation for all things abnormal nowadays. We are truly helpless…
Through this whole mess, the dedicated men and women of the SPPD have endured it all. A police chief is vitally important to an organization like this. They provide stability, guidance, inspiration, and a feeling that the boss will be looking out for you, something that this crazy woke atmosphere of attacking law enforcement has surely exacerbated the need for.
An interim chief is fine, but he’s just that—interim. Stability comes with a clear vision of the future. You can’t realistically ask a stand-in to do more than just mind the store. It’s not fair to him, to his employees, or to the community. The job at hand gets done, but that’s about it. Meanwhile, long-term planning and significant operational improvements are put on hold. The department stagnates, and morale suffers.
So, in early October of last year, the PFC approved the posting for a new chief. That’s four months later, mind you. The process ground on, as these things have a tendency to do. Admittedly, finding a suitable replacement does take time. In this particular case, about another five months.
The pool of candidates was whittled down to two. One was University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Police Chief Brent Plisch. The other was Stevens Point Police Interim Assistant Chief Robert Kussow. On March 16, we learned that Plisch was offered the position, but turned it down. His letter withdrawing from the process heaped great praise upon the PFC, but was vague at best regarding his reasoning. Let’s stop and ponder that one. If you need, I can explain it to you over an adult beverage.
No problem, you would think. There is another qualified candidate in the process, Assistant Chief Robert Kussow, you would think. The number two candidate who made it all the way to just short of the finish line can now be offered the position, you would think.
Not so fast. Like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown to kick, apparently, this gag never gets old. There was no offer for Kussow. Why, you may ask? I did. The reasoning that I was told, he lacks the necessary experience for the position. We can have a discussion of that reasoning over the aforementioned beverage later, but why then hold the football, so to speak, for him?
Surely the PFC, who has the statutory responsibility for oversight of the police department, was already familiar with Kussow’s experience and background. Surely, they knew his qualifications when he was made interim assistant chief of police. Surely, they must have known all about him when he made the final cut. Surely, he would not have been allowed to continue on merely for appearance’s sake or used as a hiring tactic to throw the other candidate off. Surely, they would not do that to one of their own. Alas, surely, this will help improve morale and encourage all of the other Charlie Browns to take a kick at the next football offered up for them. Surely, you can’t be serious.
Indeed, Commission President Wescott said the PFC will “pause for a few months to evaluate the civic environment before initiating a new search for a police chief; a reset so our community can re-establish itself as a place where the best and brightest progressive law enforcement minds seek out and view as a true opportunity.” You need a translation? You are buying the first round.
Law enforcement is a serious business and requires serious leadership. Before I wish the city luck in finding a new chief of police, which I do, may I suggest some introspection first. No one likes to waste time; not if you are serious about what you do.
Let’s support our local law enforcement, and tell them how much we value their service. Let’s encourage our local officials to look for ways to expedite a fair process. Then let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about it. Until then, God bless.
Dan Kontos is a paid columnist for the Metro Wire. He chooses his own topics and his opinions do not necessarily represent the staff of the Metro Wire. He lives with his family in Whiting.
