Door County Crime Prevention Foundation

Slider

by

K-9 Unit

The Door County Sheriff’s Department is dedicated to the safety and welfare of all citizens and visitors. They are committed to partnering with the community to solve problems and improve public safety in a manner that is fair, transparent, and consistent.

The Crime Prevention Foundation is one of the easiest ways the community can help the Sheriff’s Department live out its mission. The Foundation assists the department in providing vital services important to our community. Our communities’ School Resource Officers, DARE program, Chop ‘N’ Shop with a Cop, CRAVE 21 Challenge, along with specialized law enforcement training and equipment, have all benefited from funds raised by the Foundation.

Door County’s K-9 unit is one of the most beloved programs the Crime Prevention Foundation helped revitalize. Donors large and small rallied together to help purchase and train K-9 Deputy Odinn. The Foundation’s involvement didn’t stop there as it continued to support veterinary services, related safety equipment, and further training for Odinn and his handler.

Unfortunately, Deputy Odinn passed away in June 2023, leaving big paws to fill in the department. The Door County Sheriff’s Department knows Odinn will not be easily replaced but is determined to carry on his legacy with the help of the Crime Prevention Foundation.

The Foundation has since helped fund two new K-9 deputies. The first, K-9 TJ, is a Dutch Shepherd imported from Hungary who is trained in narcotics detection, tracking, article location, and patrol. Paired with Deputy Tina Spaulding, TJ also participates in community outreach events and recently took first place in a regional K-9 competition. The second K-9, Rosie, is a German Shepherd from Bulgaria who serves on patrol and with the Door County SWAT team. She is trained in drug detection, tracking, article searches, building searches, and suspect apprehension, working closely with Deputy Mitch Tlachac.

In addition to the K-9 program, the Foundation helped bring Door County’s first certified therapy dog to the Sheriff’s Office in 2024. Finn, a Labradoodle donated by Blueberry Cottage Labradoodles, is handled by Coordinated Response Specialist Kyanna Francour and Investigator Ellie Williams. Finn provides comfort and emotional support to Justice Center staff, crime victims, and members of the public, and is quickly becoming a community favorite at events like the Door County Fair and Chop ‘N Shop with a Cop.

Your generous gift to the Crime Prevention Foundation will help care for the K-9 units and therapy dog, and support other law enforcement programs that keep our community safe. Contributions from people like you have already helped us raise sufficient resources to pay for the purchase, training, and equipping of these incredible dogs. However, additional donations are needed to provide for the long-term care of the animals as well as to support other crime prevention efforts in Door County. Click here to make a gift to the Door County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Foundation.

The Door County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Foundation is a component fund of the Door County Community Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. All contributions are deductible to the fullest extent as allowed by law.

The Door County Community Foundation, Inc. is a collection of separate charitable funds set up by individuals, families, non-profit organizations, private foundations, and businesses that are managed, invested, and disbursed for the current and future good of Door County. The Community Foundation was launched in 1999, currently administers more than $40 million in assets, and distributes more than $5 million to charities in Door County every year. For more information about the Door County Community Foundation, visit us online at www.GiveDoorCounty.org.

 

by

School Resource Officer Program


A well-founded School Resource Officer program is one of the best school security investments a community can make.  The return on that investment, however, goes well beyond school security.

Before the 1999 school tragedy in Columbine, Colorado, the role of the police officer on a school campus was primarily one of being an enforcer and a deterrent.  The officer intervened in criminal and drug activity, provided basic security, and otherwise was meant to be a visible presence so that both students and dangerous adults would think twice before committing a criminal act. Unfortunately, what Columbine and similar tragedies taught us was that a police presence isn’t as effective a deterrent as our society had hoped.

What the latest research clearly demonstrates is that the best way to deter criminal activity in a school is for the officer to be more than merely present in the building.  The most effective way to keep our kids safe, and help them thrive, is for the officer to be a resource to the school community.

That’s the value of a School Resource Officer.

A School Resource Officer (commonly referred to as an “SRO”) is a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority that is deployed in a community-oriented policing role within a school environment.  An SRO is more than your typical police officer.  These are specially trained and equipped officers that actively work in partnership with teachers and administrators to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for our children.

A primary role of a School Resource Officer is to establish positive, trusting relationships with the young people in their school.  The intent is to ensure that every student has an interaction with the officer, but that first interaction is not one that places the officer in an enforcement role.  Instead, the idea is for the officer to be seen as a friend, confidant, and informal mentor.

First, by establishing open and trusting lines of communication with students, the officer is seen as an ally and friend to help young people through difficult life and school situations.  Second, the officer is an educator on challenging issues that have the potential to bring a person in contact with law enforcement.  Finally, should the safety of our children be compromised, the School Resource Officer is on hand to respond as a sworn law enforcement professional.

Research has demonstrated that School Resource Officers can play a critical role in keeping our kids safe and helping them to thrive.  Unfortunately, there is no formal, county-wide School Resource Officer program in Door County.

The Door County Sheriff’s Department, the Crime Prevention Foundation, and all five of Door County’s school districts partnered together to launch a county-wide effort in the Fall of 2019.

While the ongoing operational expenses of the School Resource Officer program are entirely the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department and the respective school districts, working in a school environment surrounded by young people is not the typical policing experience.  Hence, to get the program off the ground, the community was invited to assist with several initial expenses that properly set up the offices as well as specially trained and equipped the officers. Thanks to the generosity of the community, there is now a School Resource Officer in every school district in Door County. 

by

Grants for Door County Law Enforcement

The Crime Prevention Foundation offers grant opportunities to Door County law enforcement agencies to support projects that will address crime prevention.

Local law enforcement agencies are invited to submit project ideas to the independent Board of Advisors who will oversee the Crime Prevention Foundation. The Crime Prevention Foundation has proudly supported the following projects:

K-9 Services
In 2017, the Door County Sheriff’s Office revived a K-9 program that had been dormant for nearly 30 years. Door County’s K–9 unit is one of the most beloved programs the Crime Prevention Foundation has supported. Donors large and small rallied together to help purchase and train K–9 Deputy Odinn. Funds raised for this new K-9 services program in Door County were used to pay for expenses such as purchasing Odinn, training for both Odinn and his handler, veterinary services, and related safety equipment. Unfortunately, Deputy Odinn passed away this past June leaving big paws to fill in the department. The Door County Sheriff’s Department knows Odinn will not be easily replaced but is determined to fill his paws with a new K-9 deputy with the help of the Crime Prevention Foundation. Click here to learn more about their efforts.

School Resource Officer Program
A School Resource Officer is a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority that is deployed in a community-oriented policing role within a school environment. An SRO is more than your typical police officer.  These are specially trained and equipped officers that actively work in partnership with teachers and administrators to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for our children. While the ongoing operational expenses of the School Resource Officer program are entirely the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department and the respective school districts, working in a school environment surrounded by young people is not the typical policing experience.  Hence, to get the program off the ground, the community was invited to assist with several initial expenses that properly set up the offices as well as specially trained and equipped the officers. Learn more about the SRO Program here.

Honor Guard Equipment
The presence of the Honor Guard plays an important role in developing relationships with community members that are based on trust, honor, and integrity. Funding supported the purchase of equipment needed to enhance the Honor Guard’s presence at community events.

CRAVE 21 Challenge
Crave 21’s mission is to educate and empower youth to make healthier choices in order to live free from addiction as they move into adulthood. The program challenges students to give up their biggest craving for 21 days with coaching support coming through student check-ins and the Coach.Me application.

Communications Upgrade
Grant dollars supported the purchase of a new squad car laptop computer for the Washington Island Police Department. This technology allows officers to more efficiently complete administrative work as well as enables access to information about current criminal and noncriminal activities that may be happening locally and throughout country.

Chop ‘N’ Shop with a Cop Day
This annual event pairs a law enforcement officer with a youngster to help kids and their families have a happy holiday season. During the day, kids and officers visit a tree farm to cut down a Christmas tree, visit a store to shop for family members and visit with Santa, and then attend a gift-wrapping party.

by

Apply for a Grant


The Crime Prevention Foundation offers grant opportunities to Door County law enforcement agencies to support projects that will address crime prevention.

Local law enforcement agencies are invited to submit project ideas to the independent Board of Advisors who will oversee the Crime Prevention Foundation. The Crime Prevention Foundation is proud to accept applications for needs such as:

  • K-9 program
  • School Resource Officer Program
  • DARE
  • Shop and Chop with a Cop
  • Equipment to enhance officer safety
  • Specialized training for law enforcement

The application can be found here.

For more information on the Crime Prevention Foundation grant opportunities, please email us, or call (920) 746-1786.