The Fox Valley Metro Police Department covers Kimberly and Little Chute. PC: Fox 11 Online
LITTLE CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Village leaders are speaking out for the first time about how Kimberly’s withdrawal from the Fox Valley Metro Police Department will affect Little Chute.
At a meeting Monday, Kimberly’s village board voted unanimously to depart from the police partnership they shared with Little Chute. Officials said the decision is purely in an effort to cut costs and had nothing to do with dissatisfaction with the FVMPD’s performance.
In 2017, the Combined Locks village board also voted to leave the department, opting instead to contract with the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office. Kimberly will now do the same. Their exit leaves Little Chute as the only remaining municipality served by FVMPD.
Kimberly said they’ll save an estimated $279,000 per year, or about 17% of their $1.66 million police budget, by making the switch. In a typical year, Little Chute pays for about 60% of the department, with Kimberly paying the other 40%.
“It’s going to mean change for our organization. And obviously we’re adapting to that, figuring out what that means for us an organization,” said Lt. Mark Wery of FVMPD. “But as far as the day-to-day police services that we provide to our community, that’s not going to change.”
Little Chute Village Administrator Beau Bernhoft released this statement Tuesday:
The Village of Little Chute will adapt to the difficult challenges of Kimberly dissolving the partnership. Our Village Board of Trustees remain dedicated to ensuring that our police department continues to serve Little Chute residents with clarity and focus. We will work closely with FVMPD leadership to shift resources and strategies as needed to ensure seamless service delivery. Our foremost priority remains the safety and well-being of our residents. We want to assure our community that we are committed to maintaining a high standard of police services within Little Chute.
Transparency and open communication are paramount during this process. Our intent is to keep our community and police department informed as we navigate this change. The Village Board remains committed to prioritizing public safety and is dedicated to providing updates as more details become available.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we work through this transition to best serve our community’s needs.
Kimberly gathered input on the issue earlier this summer, receiving 380 responses — about 6% of the Kimberly population.
- 75% preferred to stay with FVMPD
- 17% preferred to go with OCSD
- 8% had no preference
The transition could take up to three years, as per the agreement between the villages. However, officials said it may come sooner.
Kimberly says the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office will provide the same coverage. The department may also hire some of the displaced FVMPD officers.
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