A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

Trawicki, Martorano Face Off in Sept. 10 Election

Come Sept. 10 there will be a new sheriff in town, and the two veteran
officers running for the post of top cop in Waukesha County promise
none of the fireworks that marred the contest in the past.

Sheriff's Deputy Inspector Dan Trawicki faces off against Capt. Terry
Martorano - two men with 50 years of experience between them. The
four-year term pays $72,000 annually.

The race promises to be decidedly less contentious than the contest
between former Waukesha County Sheriffs Arnold Moncada and William
Kruziki - a race that pit personnel against one another and left a
wounded, divided department in its wake.

Trawicki and Martorano sat down with the Freeman recently to discuss
their candidacies.

The issues

This time around, the issues are breaking out into two - the proposed
jail expansion and shared dispatch services. And both men varied
little on their opinions.

The county board has battled over how much of the Moor Downs golf
course will be cannibalized to allow for the expansion of the already
overcrowded county jail facility.

"Neither of those issues is going to be resolved short-term," Trawicki
said. "My job is to make sure this jail is done not only in a timely
manner, but that we are including the appropriate programs to combat
recidivism, like anger management and family counseling."

"One way or the other, I wish they'd make up their minds," Martorano
said of the jail expansion plans. "The money for these studies is
money we're never going to recoup. There's going to be a day when
tough decisions have to be made. I'm hoping the study comes back with
some alternatives."

With the future reduction in state shared revenue, sharing of services
is expected to be the watchword with combined dispatch services on the
front burner.

"I believe it will make things safer for the officers on the road,"
Martorano said. "Having all the dispatch together with dedicated
supervisors working exclusively in the dispatch room will certainly
make for better supervision of the operation."

"There has to be a give and take, but I am a big proponent of joint
dispatch," Trawicki said. "With shared revenue being reduced, we're
all going to have less money. There certainly are things that joint
dispatch will teach us."

DARE to dream

Both men also agreed that losing the funding for the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program was a blow to law enforcement efforts.

"The county board has said they won't pay for it, but we have been
working closely with the schools to see where we can go from here,"
Trawicki said. "It is reduced in length, but it's still there. I think
we can continue to foster closer relationships between parent-teacher
organizations and other similar groups. I can't believe that
interaction with children is a bad thing. We all have the same
interests at heart."

"I certainly believe in the DARE program," Martorano said. "I would
hope the schools could kick in some money. I've dealt with adults
during my time in the drug unit, and if we can touch them when they're
younger, we may not have so many adults to deal with later."

Getting things started

In their respective positions, both candidates have had the chance to
make changes through their leadership.

"Within the last month, (Waukesha County District Attorney) Paul
Bucher and I got together to establish the 'Protecting Children
Online' program to get at the root of computer-related crimes against
children," Trawicki said. "When the Internet was created, no one
foresaw all the uses, both good and bad. In law enforcement, we have
to stay abreast of the various ways perpetrators can get to our children.

"Computer crimes will be a huge area in the future. We have to make
sure our detectives have as much knowledge as those who are using (the
Internet)," Trawicki said.

"Dan and I come from two different aspects in the sheriff's
department," Martorano said when asked about initiatives for which he
was responsible. "My job doesn't take me there. But I'm certainly open
to the challenge.

"I think the department has been stagnant for awhile. I think a new
face with some new ideas and fresh blood is what we need," Martorano
said.

Personal history

While Martorano and Trawicki share long and distinguished careers with
the department, their tenure is not without blemishes.

Martorano was removed by Kruziki as captain of the department's elite
Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Unit after Martorano led a botched drug
raid on the wrong house in Muskego last year.

"The officer that made that mistake feels terrible about what he did,"
Martorano said of Muskego police Officer Eric Nowicki, the officer who
planned out the raid. Nowicki has since been reassigned to his
department and removed from the unit.

Martorano and another supervisor were transferred out of the unit, as
well.

"It was a mistake," Martorano said. "There was no malicious intent. By
the time I got to that house, it was all happening. But I accept the
responsibility of being the supervisor of that unit. Those officers
did not deserve what Bill Kruziki did. He tore that unit apart."

Trawicki still remembers a tragedy that befell his career in the
mid-1980s when, as part of a team on a drug bust, he slipped and fell
with his gun in his hand and accidentally shot a drug suspect, killing
him.

Trawicki was cleared of any wrongdoing through an inquest.

"This was a terribly tragic incident that unfortunately, is
irreversible," Trawicki said. "The whole incident is a matter of
public record, and anyone who would like to know more about it is
certainly able to view the records."

The men

Martorano, 51, has been on the sheriff's department for 27 years. As a
captain, he supervises the day shift uniformed patrol division and the
tactical enforcement unit.

Martorano said being a street cop makes him the most qualified for the
top job - a "cop's cop," he said.

"I'd be a hands-on sheriff," Martorano said. "I believe leading by
example is the only way to get your officers to respect you. I've
prepared myself for the job and I've certainly waited my turn. I ask
people to judge me on who I've been, not who I've become since I
wanted this job."

As deputy inspector, Trawicki, 44, a 23-year department veteran,
oversees all department operations - three patrol shifts, the
Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Unit, the court services division, the
detective bureau and the department's 152 sworn officers.

Trawicki has been with the department since he was a cadet and said
working with others is his strong suit.

"I have a wealth of experience administering this department,"
Trawicki said. "I have appeared at hundreds of different town and
village board meetings, and fostering these intergovernmental
relationships will be huge. It will figure into a lot of different
avenues and the continuation of good working relationships is the key
to our futures."