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DYON MUSTARD

Finally, Lake Geneva “little man” attorney Dan Draper was forced to release the personal complaint records of one Lake Geneva Police Officer named Dennis Dyon. Open records requests were met with his usual stone wall “I’ll take care of the good old boys and my friends, and who the hell are you?” kind of behavior. This same Dan “The Don” Draper is the one who denied enforcement of a perfectly legal and publically supported referendum last year. Draper keeps his job because no other attorney will run for the seat against him for whatever reasons. In league with Mayor Jim Connors, Dan Draper has been the source of “steerage” for a ton of Lake Geneva taxpayer money allegedly guided into just the right hands. Developments like the outrage of the Bunk Pavilion in Flat Iron Park and the coming bushy bush improvement at the base of the Riviera Pier can be laid right at his feet, or is trough a more descriptive word? Dennis Dyon is on suspension, with pay, of course. Police officers today do not suffer from the same scrutiny or public revelations as in days of old. Back then police officers generally went through entire careers without a single complaint on their record. When things changed, as they did everywhere including Lake Geneva, after 911 then procedures had to change. Instead of making complaints of employee’s public it was decided to make all such complaints confidential. In other words, everyone except the public gets to know.

Dyon is on suspension for questionable behavior in his treatment of a senior citizen during a normal traffic stop. It is of note that Tom Pinkl’s complaints about Dyon threatening his life for no reason at all are not among those listed. The good news is that the public gets the opportunity to actually view this officer’s visible track record. The handling of the Dyon case illustrates how a department is constrained from going public about him and prevented from even entertaining firing him by a powerful police officer’s union. The man needs to be put out of action so no one else living in Lake Geneva will likely be damaged by this censured officer. This is the same officer that filed charges against his chief, making all sorts of wild accusations about things the chief supposedly said in front of others, except that no one else would back his story. That complaint continues to work its way through the city’s police and fire commission. What will come of that? Likely nothing. Mike Rasmussen is what fishermen might call a “keeper”.

Lake Geneva’s police department runs like an expensive watch that is kept well oiled and precisely wound. It’s quite, accurate and caring, and value is not only maintained but increasing in this lovely small town community. Lake Geneva Police have had a ton to do with building and maintaining this quality image to the state, nation and world. Recently a rookie Walworth County Deputy was involved with the shooting of an unarmed motorist. The details have yet to be fully investigated and released, but so far the case gives every appearance of being one of those nationally covered cases where the police over-reacted in a terminal way. The involved officer had joined the Sheriff’s Department with the blessing of the agency he left despite being known as a problematic reserve officer. He had exhibited authority issues and inferior judgement, while receiving his training and until he got his full time sworn badge. That small department knew his performance issues and yet still allegedly moved him on. At some point all police departments in America, including all of those in Wisconsin, may have to be required to release all officer performance events and records at all times. They work at the pleasure of the public, not the other way around. Officer Dyon, if his disciplinary records are to be believed, has every earmark of being a troubled man and the last place a troubled man should be found is as a sworn officer on any police department roster.

 

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