GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A Green Bay Community Police Officer has received a lifetime achievement award for his work in the city representing the force.
Officer Dave Schmitz got the award from the Wisconsin Association of Community Oriented Police (WACOP) at a conference in Milwaukee.
Schmitz, also known as “Officer Dave”, has worked for the Green Bay Police Department for 29 years. He first joined the community police unit in 1995. The next year, Schmitz was one of the first to become part of a new organization that promoted the philosophy of Community Policing called WACOP.
As a member of the Green Bay Police Department, Schmitz has held positions of co-director and director for District 3. He’s also served as Treasurer and President of WACOP.
Among the many career accomplishments, Schmitz completed a problem oriented policing project in the Tank neighborhood called “Operation One Stop”. The project solved a chronic nuisance problem and Schmitz was awarded the Sir Robert Peel Award from WACOP.
About 14 years ago, Schmitz began a Tank School Community Service Group. He works will approximately 8 to 10 different students from the 4th and 5th grades each year. They meet about 9 times a year doing community service projects in the area that build character, discipline and promote cooperation and teamwork.
In 2015, Schmitz was given the WACOP Mike Paoletti Community Service award for working with the children of Tank School
According to a release from the Green Bay P.D., Schmitz loves working with children and believes that we need to work with the children to influence their lives and have a better relationship with them.
He participates in Badges for Baseball that is hosted by the Boys and Girls Club. He networked with the communities’ youth to assist former Chief Thomas Molitor to start a series of basketball events at Fisk Park and recently at the Boys and Girls Club. The event is now known as “Bring Your Own Five”.
“The entire Green Bay Police Department congratulates Officer Dave Schmitz for this great honor,” said Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith. “Officer Schmitz’ hard work and tireless dedication to the community-especially to our children, serve as an example for us all.”
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