It may not be Friday, but here is a special podcast episode with Chief Barnes and Community Outreach Specialist Tracy Durante. There is some exigency in getting this episode’s message out there because WE NEED YOUR HELP! Homelessness is a challenge that individuals & families across this country (and world) are facing with increasing frequency. You would be hard-pressed to find a community that isn’t struggling to find effective ways to provide programs and shelter for its unhoused citizens.

In this podcast episode, Chief Barnes and Tracy Rieger detail an upcoming shelter provider gap in Wausau starting May 1st. As an interim solution, the Wausau Police Department will be overseeing the opening of the ‘Wausau Marathon County (WMC) Shelter.’

How can you help?

There is an urgent need for us to hire a number of folks to fill temporary positions (~ 8 months) to staff this shelter, along with securing invaluable volunteer assistance. These paid & volunteer opportunities will make an impact on others in an immediate and fulfilling way. Learn more about the WMC Shelter in this 20th episode of the Wausau PD Podcast!

To apply online for any of the temporary shelter positions, visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/wausauwi/

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Facebook, and other major platforms.

🎙 Happy Podcast Friday!

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we’re releasing a special episode of the Wausau PD Podcast focused on 'Seek Then Speak'—a powerful, confidential tool that empowers survivors of sexual assault to explore their options and, if they choose, begin the process of reporting.

This episode was made possible through the collaboration of community partners who share our commitment to supporting survivors: Aspirus Health, The Womens Community, Inc., and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office.

We encourage you to listen, learn, and share. Together, we can continue to build a community that supports survivors with compassion and care.

Throughout April, The Womens Community, Inc. is also hosting several events to raise awareness and offer support. You can learn more about these events by visiting www.womenscommunity.org

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Facebook, and other major platforms.

Several months ago, Ofc. Andy Kutchenriter sat down to interview Det. Dave Bertram. This time the roles are reversed as Det. Bertram tosses out some questions to get to know Ofc. Kutchenriter better! Learn more about this Wausau native's upbringing, military experience, and forays into different career paths on his way to finding a home at Wausau PD. Ofc. Kutchenriter's background and drive to serve others make him a big part of our department!

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Facebook, and other major platforms.

In this episode, Chief Barnes visits with Marathon County Sheriff, Chad Billeb as they reflect on the common law enforcement goals shared by the police & sheriff’s departments. From special teams to cooperative training initiatives, our paths align quite a bit. We think we’ve laid the groundwork for several future podcasts highlighting the joint services we offer.

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on Youtube, Facebook, and other major platforms.

The law enforcement profession has enjoyed a partnership with Special Olympics for many years. In this episode of the Wausau PD Podcast, Lieutenant Nate Stetzer and Officer Nick Stetzer (yes, they are twins) sit down to talk about their involvement with Special Olympics of Wisconsin and how that relationship has changed their lives.

Special Olympics was founded in 1968 with the mission, “…to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.”

The Wausau Police Department is honored to support Special Olympics of Wisconsin. If you would like to learn more about how to get involved in this great cause visit https://www.specialolympics.org/get-involved?locale=en. To support Lt. Stetzer as he represents Wisconsin on an international level at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, go to https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/FinalLeg/NateStetzer

Happy Podcast Friday! We now have about 6 months of biweekly podcasts under our belt, so we thought we would share a bit of a mash-up for today. In this episode, you'll find excerpts from each of the previous conversations we've had so far. We have lots of great things going on at the department, and we hope these episodes give you a glimpse of that!

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Facebook, and other major platforms.

Happy Podcast Friday! Our uniformed patrol officers do an awesome job responding to approximately 40,000 service calls each year. But what happens when a case requires further follow-up and specialized training to see it through? In this episode, Capt. Nathan Cihlar speaks with Detectives Jim Martin & Nick Walters about their careers. Find out how their paths led to the Investigations Bureau, what challenges they can face when digging deep into a complex incident, and what keeps them motivated to see a case to conclusion.

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Spotify, and other major platforms.

Happy Podcast Friday! The main ingredients that make the Wausau Police Department effective and an awesome place to work are the people that work here. In this episode, we were able to catch up with Officer Claire Ostrowski to learn more about her. Although she was hired in 2020, Officer Ostrowski came to Wausau PD with several years of experience from another agency. An instructor, trainer, and all-around solid patrol officer, Officer Ostrowski has been a great addition to our department and community.

The Wausau PD Podcast is also available on YouTube, Facebook, and other major platforms.