The Winnebago County Jail has seen an increase in bookings this year and is requesting six new deputies to man a previously unused area. Oct. 16, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Winnebago County Jail population increased in 2025, but violent crime in Oshkosh, the county’s biggest city, is down significantly.
The reason? More petty crimes, according to Amber Rozek, who oversees the county jail.
“What we’re seeing is some of the lower-level offenses — the disorderly conducts, the resisting, drug charges,” said Rozek, who is officially the county’s Captain of Corrections. “Typically, with the disorderly conducts and resisting, there is some sort of substance use associated with that. So, that’s the uptick we’re seeing, and then just the addiction cycle.”
Sex offenses was the only major violent crime category with an increase
In 2025, the Winnebago County Jail admitted 1,700 more people than in 2024, for a total of 4,843 (versus 3,100 in 2024). That’s nearly back to the jail’s pre-COVID-19 pandemic population, according to Rozek.
Oshkosh is the primary police department admitting inmates into the county jail, with 1,615 inmates in 2025 — about double the amount that the other six police departments booked combined (Neenah, Fox Crossing, Menasha, Winneconne, Omro and UW-Oshkosh).
However, in Oshkosh last year, nearly all violent crime levels were down:
- Burglaries were down 15%
- Destruction of property and vandalism were down 35%
- Fraud was down 35%
- Weapon violations, excluding fireworks, were at their lowest rate since 2020
- Homicides were down from five in 2024 to just one in 2025
- The main outlier was sex offenses, which were up 22%
Follows nationwide trend from 2025
A recent study tracking violent crime in 67 of the U.S.’s biggest cities showed a similar result:
- Robbery down 19.8%
- Homicides down 19.3%
- Aggravated assault down 9.7%
- Rape down 8.8%
“That’s been the general consensus amongst the different jails,” said Rozek. “We are having the short-stay, repeat offenders that are taking up space, and not so many of the big major crimes or assault offenses, where they’re spending a long period with us.”
While most of the lower-level offenders are repeat offenders, on occasion, a first-time charge for disorderly conduct or resisting arrest will lead to a jail booking, according to Rozek. That decision is up to the police departments or the other arresting agency. According to Rozek, it’s the lower-level crimes — whether for first-time or repeat offenses — that are increasing the jail population in Winnebago County.
The Oshkosh Police Department shared this data at a recent City Council meeting. However, no officers were available to answer further questions today for this story.
Comments