SPPD officer honored with Relentless Badger Award for advocacy work
By Brandi Makuski
STEVENS POINT — Midstate Independent Living Choices (MILC) honored Stevens Point Police Officer Mike Radsek with the 2024 Relentless Badger Award on April 7, recognizing his long-standing dedication to individuals with disabilities, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness.
The Relentless Badger Award is presented annually by Wisconsin’s eight Independent Living Centers (ILCs) to individuals who go above and beyond in assisting and advocating for people with disabilities, highlighting their positive impact.
Radsek, serving as a crisis intervention and veteran liaison officer for the Stevens Point Police Department, received the award during a local ceremony attended by detectives and fellow officers, including Police Chief Bob Kussow and Assistant Chief Dana Williams. The event mirrored the statewide IL Days gathering in Madison, where ILCs convene for training and to honor advocates making a difference across Wisconsin.
“Mike has spent years building positive relationships with each of these communities and local service providers to create connections and ensure residents are receiving the support they need to thrive,” said Morgan Potter, MILC’s peer support and mental health manager.
Radsek has been an active member of the advisory committee for ROCC Point (Resources, Opportunities, Choices & Connections), a local recovery center for individuals with mental health and substance use histories, for more than six years. He frequently visits the center to build rapport and personally introduces new officers to the peer support model.
Independent Living Consultant Madison Matijevich highlighted Radsek’s collaboration with MILC’s representative payee program to coordinate housing for individuals experiencing instability.
“One recent example is when Officer Mike was connected with a consumer (client) living on the streets of downtown Stevens Point,” she said. “He worked with him for several months to get him into temporary housing and enrolled in a long-term care program. Because of this collaboration, our consumer has successfully secured COVID housing.”
Matijevich added that Radsek embodies the independent living philosophy and is committed to consumer control—helping people take charge of their own lives.
Police Chief Bob Kussow said Radsek has regularly “gone above and beyond the call” in helping the unhoused in the city. He has given individuals rides to the Department of Motor Vehicles, helped them complete job applications, and assisted some in securing emergency housing.
Radsek joined the Stevens Point Police Department in 1996 and plans to retire in 2026. He expressed gratitude for the recognition and partnership.
“It’s an honor. It’s a pleasure working with all you folks, and I’m going to truly miss it,” Radsek said. “I had no idea what MILC was when I started in this position, and now I throw it out there all the time as a resource for people.”