Police departments across northeast Wisconsin adding “inflatable officers” to the force
(WFRV) – Anytime there are a handful or more squad cars, most people probably begin wondering what crime or emergency just occurred. However, many departments more frequently have large assemblies of police cars for community events and fundraisers.
“We sometimes find it difficult to attract the public in because they see four or five squad cars with their lights on. They think a situation is going on,” Officer Joe LeBreck of the Clintonville Police Department said. I think it’s a knee-jerk reaction that people see emergency vehicles and tend to stay out of the way. They don’t know what’s going on, so they want to keep a safe distance to not interfere with emergency services.”
Fox Crossing also has several community-oriented events and fundraisers and experiences the same thing.
“Sometimes people get the wrong impression of what’s happening. They’re not sure if it’s a police situation or what it is,” community liaison Officer Dan Wiechman said. “Sometimes an automatic sensation of uncertainty when they see a large police presence with their lights on, and typically maybe there is a significant incident taking place.”
So De Pere-based radio station Q90FM, which works closely with police departments across northeast Wisconsin for its Police Lights of Christmas program, decided to do something about it.
“Each year we run into people going ‘oh, something must be going down at Culver’s,’ and they avoid the event,” Q90FM executive director Katie Connell said of the ‘Cops at Culvers’ event. “This year, we had to get a little bit more creative. What can we do to still have those squad cars still parked, still with their lights shining, but to say to the public that ‘this is an event, not a situation, come on in?’”
The answer is 20-foot-tall inflatable police officers, the kind of inflatables seen at blockbuster sales. Of the 90 departments Q90FM works with, 35 requested an inflatable, which requires $300 in donations each.
“They’re quite whimsical and comical when you see them in action, and I think it’s going to show the lightheartedness and fun side of some of the events,” Wiechman said.
“If we have these crazy inflatable guys going in the air, it’s going to tell people there’s not a situation, this is an outreach event,” LeBreck said. “Once we get this inflatable officer we’re going to do a name ceremony and a swearing in ceremony, we’re going to do something fun and creative.”
Sponsors that pay the full $300 to purchase an inflatable receive the naming rights, and LeBreck has the perfect idea for Clintonville’s – if his boss allows it.
“I’ve been saying that we could probably name it after our chief because he’s full of hot air and always waving his arms around, but I don’t think he’s going to go for that.”
