Howard approves police contract with Brown County

GREEN BAY – During its Dec. 9 board meeting, the Howard Village Board approved a three-year contract between the village and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for police services for 2025-27.

“The proposed contract provides the same level of service received in 2024, which is one 24/7/365 patrol officer, one 16/7/365 patrol officer, and three direct enforcement officers (DEOs), as well as one additional officer that is billed to the village at the DEO rate but covers third shift and is not substituted if that officer is on vacation or out sick,” Village Administrator Paul Evert wrote in the report to the board.

“In 2025 the cost to the village for police services will increase by 6% because the officers received a 4.0 % increase in 2024, while the village’s contract only increased 2%. The village does not need to make up the 2024 difference, but it does result in a larger single-year increase in 2025 from $1,788,337 to $1,827,148. There will be the same 4% increase per year for 2026 and 2027.

“The one additional expense in this contract is the village’s contribution toward the purchase of body cameras. For 2025 that is $55,233.78 with a yet-to-be-determined amount in 2026 and 2027.

“The Green Bay Packers contributed to the cost of these cameras when they were initially purchased, bringing the cost down by about two-thirds, but that is not the case during the term of the new contract.”

Evert said costs will average out to about $110 per resident in 2025 for the village, which he said is still one of the “lowest cost per capita expenses for police service of any community its size in Wisconsin.”

For comparison, he used 2022 net costs in Green Bay, which was $266 per resident, De Pere at $199 per resident and Fox Crossing at $192 per resident.

In 2022, Howard was at $95 per resident.

The board unanimously approved the contract with Trustees Raymond Suennen and Maria Lasecki abstaining.

In other action, the board unanimously approved to cancel the Dec. 23 village board meeting.