Oct. 12, 2025 8p
(WGTD)---The Sturtevant Police Department appears to be dying a slow death.
As recently as the middle of last month, the village board was signaling that police services for the Racine County village of around 7,000 would more than likely not be contracted out.
Then there was a slight turnover in the make-up of the board and things changed.
The board voted 5-2 against carrying on with the department. The following week, the board voted to begin negotiations with the Racine County Sheriff’s Office for protection.
Officers with the small department aren’t waiting around to find out what’s next. Half of the department’s dozen officers have already quit or are on their way out.
In an emotional social media post late last week, K9 Officer Tonia Lamster thanked the community for its support, and announced that she’s leaving with her dog Kilo for a position with the Muskego Police Department.
Resident Lisa Spurlock says she’s attended a couple of board meetings in an effort to figure out just what’s going on. She tends to support the outsourcing after hearing board members talk about the impact on the small village of big settlements from potential lawsuits that could arise from future incidents. "To me, that seemed to be my main reason that I would tend more toward outsourcing it," she said.
Resident Mike Calvi has a different point of view. "I think it's a big mistake. I think they're going to lose more than they gain for the little bit of savings they get out of it," Calvi said.
The village board has a closed session scheduled for Tuesday night to discuss its negotiating posture and strategy with the sheriff’s office.
The agenda says the board could reconvene in open session for continued discussion and possible action.
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