Dodge County Sheriff’s Department implements community service officer program

Auto group donates vehicle to kickstart program

With the donation of a new vehicle, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office has implemented a new program to help out the community.

Countryside GM Auto Group provided a generous donation to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, according to a release.

In order to make the program a reality, the release said a vehicle is required and Countryside GM will provide a 2018 Chevy Equinox to the Sheriff’s Office for two years at no charge.

The program hires part-time employees to help the community by handling minor incidents, traffic control and complaints like animal bites, parking violations and abandoned vehicles. The responsibilities will be those normally done by full-time patrol deputies, but could be done by civilian staff instead. According to the release, this frees up full-time patrol deputies to focus on serious calls for service, investigations and proactive policing.

The release also said the program helps evaluate potential candidates for full-time employment.

To donate the car, Countryside GM is donating a portion of every car sold in April of 2018 and 2019.

The release said community service officers will be on the forefront of community policing efforts by working with community members through community watch programs or neighborhood crime prevention initiatives.

The first two community service officers are Easton Meier and Scott Anderson of Beaver Dam. Both are members in the Dodge County Law Enforcement Explorer Post.

“We thank Countryside Auto Group for making this venture possible with their donation to the sheriff’s office. They continue to be excellent partners in our efforts and we could not have made this possible without their generosity and support,” the release said.

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