08/18/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bq3bBYeH7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
A Response to Vehicle Pursuits
RE: Recent Article by the Wisconsin State Journal
Sometimes a silent response does more harm than good. I don't think this is one of those times to be quiet.
There are legitimate questions being asked, and we should answer them. But there are also some other important questions that deserve to be asked, like why people are choosing to flee from law enforcement in the first place.
The Monona Police Department has a long history of transparent reporting and community engagement. We talk about what we're doing, explain why we're doing it and listen when people have questions or concerns. Our Police and Fire Commission (PFC), per state statute, serves as our independent oversight of the Police Department. We are held accountable every day, and we're also given credit when credit is earned. We love our community for doing both.
People outside of Monona don't have to agree with every decision we make. They're certainly entitled to their opinions. But those who try to insert politics into Monona's local policy decisions may not be Monona residents and may not understand our community, our history or the processes we have in place to hold ourselves accountable. Outside voices can be helpful and we should listen to them, but ultimately, the people who live here have the strongest voice in what they expect from their police department. And I think our community expects us to be accountable, transparent, willing to listen and willing to enforce the law.
I respect the role of the media and others who are willing to ask tough questions about policing. Those questions make us better. But I think there are other tough questions that deserve the same level of examination. Why are so many people choosing to flee from law enforcement in Dane County? What has changed that makes some people believe fleeing from a lawful traffic stop is an acceptable response? And just as importantly, why are those numbers declining so dramatically in communities like Monona? Those are questions worth asking too.
Monona is a small city surrounded by a much larger metropolitan area, with major roadways running through our community and thousands of people traveling through every day. Yet Monona remains an exceptionally safe community. I don't believe that happens by accident. It comes from a community that expects laws to be enforced, officers who are willing to do that work and a police department that continually looks at how we can do it safely and effectively.
Any honest discussion about pursuits has to start with the decision that causes one... an individual refusing to stop for law enforcement. At MOPD, we've consistently encouraged people to stop for the police. Wisconsin law requires it. When an officer activates emergency lights and siren and directs a driver to stop, the safest choice for that driver, the officer and everyone else on the road is to stop. At some point, we also have to be willing to talk about INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
During the August sentencing of Christopher Brugger, Judge Schlipper addressed that issue directly. Brugger was sentenced to 33 years for his crimes after being convicted of multiple felony offenses related to the reckless driving, vehicle pursuit and crash involving a police officer. Judge Schlipper made clear that responsibility for Brugger's actions belonged with Brugger. That principle matters. We can review tactics and decisions, but we should not lose sight of the person who made the decision to flee, drive recklessly and commit the dangerous offense.
We can and should examine police tactic also. We can ask whether a pursuit should have been initiated, continued or terminated. We review video, look at data, evaluate training and learn from every incident. Our officers are also expected to use good judgment during a pursuit and continually reassess whether it makes sense to continue. Forty percent of our pursuits have been terminated by officers based on their assessment of the circumstances. That's not a department pursuing at all costs. It's officers making decisions based on what is happening in front of them and terminating pursuits when they determine that continuing is no longer appropriate.
Our officers continually evaluate traffic, roadway conditions, speeds, the underlying offense and the changing risk to the public. We're in the business of saving lives. When the circumstances call for it, our goal is to mitigate the risk to life, including the lives of the people involved in the pursuit and everyone else who may be affected by it. That's also why we pay attention to the damage associated with these incidents. The damage we're required to report is significantly different from simply counting every vehicle contact or every dollar of damage. It includes damage to the fleeing vehicle, such as running off the road or damage resulting from tire deflation. Those distinctions matter when we're talking about risk and the actual impact of pursuits.
We've also invested in technology specifically designed to reduce that risk. This year, Monona PD became the first law enforcement agency in Wisconsin to deploy the Grappler, giving our officers another option to safely apprehend a fleeing driver and potentially end a pursuit much sooner.
Of course, pursuit numbers have to be considered alongside the policies and practices of each community. You can't just put two numbers next to each other and conclude that one department is doing something better or worse. A community with a strong practice of not pursuing in will naturally have fewer pursuits. That may include situations where officers have reasonable suspicion that a violent offense has occurred, but don't yet have probable cause to make an arrest for that offense. That's a legitimate policy choice, but it also means the numbers need to be understood before they are compared.
In Monona, we've made a different choice. We expect our officers to enforce the law while using good judgment and continually evaluating the risk involved. Police practices should never be beyond examination simply because they are police practices. But lawlessness can't be the alternative to risk. The answer to the hazards created when someone flees from police can't simply be that police should no longer attempt to apprehend people who refuse to stop, especially when those encounters involve violent offenders, stolen vehicles, reckless driving, fi****ms or people committing crimes in our community. Police have a responsibility to make sound decisions and evaluate risk. Drivers have a responsibility to stop when lawfully directed to do so.
Our approach is producing an important result. Fewer people are fleeing from Monona officers, and the number of pursuits has declined significantly from where it was previously. Let me be clear, the goal was never to have more pursuits. The goal has always been fewer people choosing to flee.
Our expectations in Monona are pretty straightforward.
Don't burglarize homes or businesses in Monona.
Don't commit violent crimes in Monona.
Don't drive recklessly through Monona.
And when a Monona police officer lawfully directs you to stop, STOP.
We'll continue to do our part too. We'll train. We'll evaluate risk. We'll terminate pursuits when circumstances require it. We'll invest in technology that can end dangerous situations sooner. We'll review our decisions. We'll answer questions. And when we can make improvements that make our community safer, we'll make them.
Public safety works best when the police and the community each do their part. That partnership is working here in Monona. It's also why our officers and dispatchers love working here. It's why we don't have a recruitment problem. And it's why our community is safe.
We have a community that supports its police department, holds us accountable when we need to be held accountable and gives us credit when we earn it. That's something special, and it's something we don't take for granted.
We are proud to work in public safety. And we continue to be very proud to serve the residents of Monona.
-Chief Chaney
(Pictured: Chief Brian Chaney)
