Half of Wis. Police Force Resigns as Tensions with Officials Boil Over

Continuing tensions between a Wisconsin police department and local officials has led to the mass departure of half the force.

Last week, five Big Bend police officers tendered their resignations, the department announced on social media. The exodus comes only a short time after Chief Don Gaglione's sudden death in October.

"When including Chief Gaglione, these officers represent more than 125 years of total law enforcement experience," the department stated.

• RELATED: Cuts Leave Mich. Police Department with Chief as Its Only Officer

Residents told WTMJ-TV that the departure of the officers is another symptom of the tension between the department and village officials.

In September, the village board began discussing plans to disband the department. Instead of having a police force, the village would contract with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office.

But in November, Big Bend's police union and the village's finance committee worked out a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement with officers. They also approved a 2024 budget for the department.

Those positive moves, however, weren't enough to squelch the bad feelings of some officers. At a Dec. 7 village board meeting, James Soneberg, one of the officers who resigned last week, expressed his frustration with officials.

"I am tired of the harassment of this village Board and all the crap that I've been dealing with throughout the years," he said before storming out.

Several village board members were reached for comment by WTMJ, but did not respond. The next chapter in this saga is expected to play out at Thursday night's village board meeting.