Police Department Staffing

The five patrol positions would be patrol officers, not supervisors. The goal is to add one patrol officer to each shift and have enough employees to maintain that added position around the clock while accounting for days off, training, vacations, injuries and other leave.

Police calls for service increased from 21,830 in 2021 to 26,870 in 2025. Rescue calls increased approximately 19% during that period. Because of this , the City is also asking for one (1) new dispatch position. One critical incident can require more officers than are available on a normal shift. The added staffing is intended to help the department return to proactive patrol, prevention and enforcement rather than primarily reacting to calls and filling immediate coverage gaps.

The department considers call volume, calls occurring at the same time, population, peak demand, officer availability, response expectations, workload and the staffing needed for critical incidents. The first operational step would be to assign the added coverage when call demand is highest.

The department has already made several changes to improve efficiency:

• Eliminated a captain position and reallocated staffing to the Detective Bureau at a lower cost.

• Added part-time personnel to help fill boat-patrol and investigative gaps.

• Shifted portions of training scheduling, property-room work and accreditation preparation to civilian staff.

• Ended participation in the Waukesha County Drug Task Force so the investigator could focus on Muskego cases.

• Added online reporting for eligible crimes that are not in progress.

• Added report-writing technology to reduce office time and increase patrol availability.

The current DARE curriculum uses a decision-making model and is taught by School Resource Officers. The program is part of the department’s broader mission to build relationships with students, families and schools, including parochial schools. The Muskego-Norway School District funds approximately 65% of the SRO program. Its value includes relationship-building and early intervention outcomes that are not always captured by a simple call-for-service calculation.

On July 28, 2026, Police Chief Stephen Westphal presented an overview of rising calls for service, crime trends, and the need for additional Police Department staffing. Watch the presentation below and download the presentation slides.

Among the comparable Wisconsin municipalities reviewed, Muskego has one of the lowest police staffing levels per capita, with 1.60 officers per 1,000 residents.

Staffing affects the Department’s ability to respond to calls, investigate cases, enforce traffic laws, provide proactive policing and community programs, complete training, and maintain coverage when officers are unavailable.

As Muskego grows, these demands continue to place pressure on existing resources. The referendum would provide funding to add police officers, increasing the Department’s capacity to meet current needs and serve a growing community.