Nov. 15, 2022 11p
(WGTD)---The Kenosha Police and Fire Commission formally appointed Kenosha’s next police chief Tuesday.
At the first of the year, K-P-D Captain Patrick Patton will replace Eric Larsen, who postponed his retirement to serve as interim chief on a long-term basis.
The unanimous vote was witnessed by dozens of well-wishers.
Just after the vote, Commissioner Helen Schumacher offered her congratulations. "There's been a lot of changes in policing. There's been a lot of changes in society," she said. "You're going to have a tough job to do, but I and the other commissioners thought you did such a great job in the presentation. I have every confidence that the rest of the department is going to support you."
What with a slew of recent retirements, that department on average is young. Half of the patrol division has less than five years of experience.
Patton isn’t daunted. "Most people keep saying that's a huge challenge, but I think it's going to be an opportunity,' he said in a WGTD interview following the appointment.
A top priority will be to improve the department's community engagement, he said.
The 39-year-old Patton is a former Marine who has degrees from Carthage College and UW-Platteville.
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