WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Residents near Rawhide Boys Ranch in Waupaca County are pushing back against the idea that neighbors are at risk.
Maureen Fazen, from the Town of Caledonia, has lived a mile away from the ranch for the past twelve years.
“I think what they’re doing is awesome and commendable,” she says. “I run into them occasionally as they’re running, or working or doing stuff, I’m totally comfortable living here.”
Also on her side is Marvin Biadasz, who lives just down the road.
“I think some people worry more than others or some people are worry freaks,” he says.
These sentiments clash with the thoughts of another resident, Debra Emerich, who expressed earlier this week a feeling of risk after her husband’s unlocked vehicle was stolen by a Rawhide runaway.
“It’s totally different now, after you get violated like that, it’s like, it’s just very hard to keep moving and not be suspicious,” she says.
Going back in the past, runaways have not been that much of an issue, according to the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department.
“But it’s getting consistent to the point where there’s a raising concern from the amount of calls that we have with our officers,” says Sheriff Timothy Wilz.
There have been seven cases of a runaway this year alone and all of them, besides two, have returned to the site.
“On any given year we have 10 to12 students that actually run from here for an attempted AWOL,” explains Alan Loux, the President and CEO of Rawhide. “On average, 2 to 3 of those may be successful and may not come home due to property damage.”
Since the start of last year, the sheriff’s department was called to Rawhide 169 times and Loux claims most of those calls have not impacted the community.
“Eighty-percent at least are disorderly contact, where a staff calls and says ‘this kid is out of control’, and it can be a minor call where we’re there for 10 minutes, counsel the kid and leave,” says Wilz. “Also, a number of times we can be en route to the call and they cancel us.”
Rawhide serves at-risk boys primarily between the ages of 14 to 17 and most are assigned to the ranch through a court order, but they are not convicted criminals.
Loux says students would be accompanied by staff if they left the property and if students do runaway, neighbors can get a Code Red alert by signing up for it.
“We do get calls once in a while that somebody has escaped, but usually in a matter of 10 to 20 minutes we get a call that they’ve been apprehended,” explains Biadasz.
Rawhide, the Waupaca Co. Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney and Town of Caledonia officials will set monthly meetings to talk about the issue and Rawhide is starting a neighborhood community-council to increase communication.
Rawhide would possibly be classified as a juvenile detention center if a fence or wall of any sort was put up, according to officials.
