Big Bend police officers resign, latest challenge for department

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Five Big Bend police officers resign

Big Bend police announced the resignation of five officers. Resignation letters mentioned a toxic work environment caused by the village board.

The Big Bend Police Department on Thursday, Dec. 28 announced the resignation of five officers.

It is the latest in the ongoing problems for the force that saw its police chief die suddenly the month after the village board voted to disband the department, a decision that was reversed.

The resignations include the sergeant and four officers, and leaves the department with one full-time officer and several part-time officers. It is unclear at this time how the department will cover patrols in the village of 1,483, as no one from the department was able to talk with FOX6 News.

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One of the officers who is resigning yelled at the village board members during a December meeting.

"I am tired of the harassment of this village board and all the crap I’ve been dealing with throughout the years," Officer Soneberg said. Another officer then escorted him out.

Big Bend Village Hall

Some of the officers' resignation letters mentioned a toxic work environment they said was caused by the village board.

In September, the board voted to disband the police department – and instead have Waukesha County deputies provide law enforcement coverage. On Oct. 25, Police Chief Don Gaglione died. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office now confirmed to FOX6 News the chief died by suicide.

"The village police chief was devastated when he found out that the village was looking to dissolve the police department, because they had no basis of anybody did anything wrong," said Mark Anderson, who resigned as the chair of the Big Bend Police and Fire Commission in December.

After the September vote to disband the police department, people in the village put signs up in support of keeping the force. 

Sign supporting Big Bend Police Department

Despite the initial vote, the village board changed course and is keeping the police department open. The plan to switch to county patrols needed other approval, including from the village of Vernon. In November, the Big Bend Police Association announced the department would stay open and the village's 2024 budget includes funding for the department.

In December, the village board asked the village attorney to draft a proposed ordinance to get rid of the Police and Fire Commission. Anderson then resigned from that commission, which he served as chair.

 "Starting from the chief, the sergeant and now the head of the Fire and Police Commission leaving, something is wrong with what's going on right now," Anderson wrote in his resignation letter.

That commission would hire the next police chief to replace Gaglione, who assumed his role in Big Bend in January 2014 after more than three decades with the Milwaukee Police Department

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"When the police chief lost his life, it was a very sad day," Anderson said. "He was liked by everyone here in town. He was such a friendly, open guy that everyone can talk to. It was a really sad day here in town."

Now, the same department without a chief is seeing resignations of other officers. "When including Chief Gaglione, these officers represent more than 125 years of total law enforcement experience," the department wrote on its Facebook page.

"That is not a good thing for the village and the residents of Big Bend," said Anderson.

FOX6 News called every village trustee to request an interview. None responded to the requests.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.