BMO Harris Bank Robbed Thursday Morning; Suspect at Large

A man in his mid-20s came into the bank, presented a note to the teller and then fled. No weapon was displayed and no one was injured.

Greenfield police are looking for a suspect they believed robbed BMO Harris Bank, 7600 W. Layton Ave., Thursday morning. According to police, at 10:38 a.m., the lone suspect entered the bank and presented a note to the cashier. The suspect obtained an undetermined amount of money before fleeing. No weapon was displayed and no one was injured, and police are unsure if the suspected bank robber drove to the bank. The man is described as a black male in his mid-20s, between 5-feet, 5-inches and 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighs between 130-140 pounds. Police say the suspect had a beard and mustache and was wearing dark colored jeans, a gray sweat shirt, and a dark colored knit hat. Assistant Chief Paul Schlecht said the investigation is fluid …

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Greenfield Police Investigate Threats of Violence at GHS, WHS

Assistant Chief Paul Schlecht said there was no credible threat in either instance and only references to the end of the Mayan calendar, which some interpret as the end of the world.

Updated 9:50 a.m. Dec. 20: The Greenfield Police Department had an increased presence at Greenfield High School and Whitnall High School on Thursday, and will again Friday, after officers investigated rumors of possible violence occurring at the schools Friday. According to Assistant Chief Paul Schlecht, a thorough investigation conducted with the assistance of the high schools' administrators revealed no credible threat at either school. This issue, Schlecht said, appears to be along the same lines as threats investigated by other southeastern Wisconsin schools and police departments regarding the end of the Mayan calendar and the end of the world. The threats come just five days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown…

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Greenfield Police Warn of Thieves Targeting Elderly, Good Samaritans

The suspects are coming to residences asking for water.

The Greenfield Police Department is warning citizens about a threat of home thefts that involve residents letting the thieves inside their homes. According to Assistant Chief Paul Schlecht, suspects appear to be targeting elderly residents. They enter the house by telling the homeowner they need water. As the resident assists in filling a bucket of water, another suspect goes through the house looking for valuables. Schlecht said one such incident occurred around noon Tuesday in the 9000 block of W. Cold Spring Road. Two unknown men knocked on the victim's door and asked for water. When she let them in, one of the suspects distracted her while the other went to her bedroom and stole cash and other valuables. One suspect was described as a …

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Paul Schlecht Named Assistant Chief of Greenfield Police Department

His promotion, and those of several other staff members, were approved by the Police and Fire Commission on Dec. 6.

Paul Schlecht, a 27-year veteran, will be second in command at the Greenfield Police Department come Jan. 1. Schlecht's promotion from captain to assistant chief was approved by the Police and Fire Commission at the Law Enforcement Center on Tuesday. "Captain Schlecht has been an integral part of the department's re-organization," Police Chief Brad Wentlandt said. "He is very well-suited and positioned to move into the position of assistant chief." Schlecht, who will replace Inspector Mark Wildish, who is retiring later this year, joined the department in 1984 after serving as an intern with the Middleton Police Department. With Greenfield, Schlecht has served as a lieutenant/shift commander, detective sergeant, patrol sergeant and captain…

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Reorganization of Greenfield Police Department Taking Shape

Several department members have been recommended for promotions, several to newly created positions.

The reorganization of the city's police department is expected to take another step forward Tuesday. Chief Brad Wentlandt will present a number of proposed promotions before the Police and Fire Commission at at meeting at 6 p.m., outlining whom he wants to fill newly created positions within the department. Greenfield Patch reported in October the reorganization plan then-interim chief Wentlandt had proposed as a cost-saving measure of $400,000. Part of that plan includes changes in titles and duties for the highest-ranking members of the command staff. Among the promotions, as outlined in the meeting's agenda, including moving Captain Paul Schlecht to the newly created role of Assistant Chief. Wentlandt's proposal also calls for Lt. Jay …

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Greenfield Police Will Assist at Neo-Nazi Rally Control

A rally is planned for Sept. 3 in West Allis, and the Greenfield Police Department will be on hand in some fashion.

The West Allis Police Department has reached out to neighboring Greenfield for support in anticipation of a neo-Nazi rally planned for Sept. 3. The rally, set for the afternoon at West Allis City Hall, 7525 W. Greenfield Ave., is being organized by the National Socialist Movement. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it is unknown how many NSM demonstrators, or anti-demonstrators will be on hand, but West Allis police have requested the assistance of other local policing agencies, including Greenfield's. "They called us and we’ll send a couple guys over there to help out as part of our mutual aid agreement," Greenfield Police Department Captain Paul Schlecht said. "To what extent and what we’ll be doing, we don’t know, but they …

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Editor's Notebook

Concealed Carry: Will They or Won't They Post?

Some buildings, businesses taking a wait-and-see approach.

Wisconsin's concealed carry law will go into effect November, but that doesn't mean those citizens who choose to carry will be doing so wherever they please. The law gives businesses the right to determine if weapons, even those appropriately concealed, will be allowed on the premises. If they are not, a sign will be clearly posted at the business's entrance. On Thursday, the Greenfield Library Board began discussions regarding whether or not to prohibit concealed weapons in the library. According to Library Director Sheila O'Brien, however, the board postponed any detailed discussion. "After brief discussion, a motion to amend (library) policy to include specific language prohibiting weapons whether visible or concealed, was tabled …

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