On Tuesday May 12th the Chi Phi Fraternity—Pi Theta Chapter from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse presented a donation check to the La Crosse Police Department for $5,000.00. The generous donation came from funds raised during the 3rd annual La Crosse Violence Awareness Charity Softball Tournament, “Sara Softball 2015”, that was held on Saturday, April […]
CPA Week 10: The Final Class
On Tuesday night, the participants of the 2015 Citizens’ Police Academy attended the last class of the series. To start the evening, Lt. Troy Nedegaard provided information and training on how to survive an active shooter event. The ALERRT Center at Texas State University has developed law enforcement and civilian training programs based on their Avoid. Deny. Defend. strategy […]
CPA Week 9: Water Patrol, K-9 Demo, and PS/CSB
This past Tuesday, Week 9 of the La Crosse Police Department Citizens’ Police Academy, was packed with great information about several different areas of the Police Department. To kick off the evening, Sergeant Randy Rank gave a short presentation on the La Crosse Police Department Water Patrol Unit. In 2014, the Department received a grant […]
CPA Week 8: Traffic Stop Scenarios and EVOC
During last week’s Citizens’ Police Academy, participants learned what it’s like to be a Police Officer during a traffic stop. In various scenarios, Officer Jeremy Rindfleisch acted as the “driver”, while class participants took turns as the “Police Officer”. In each scenario, Officer Ryan Stenslien coached the “Officers” in different things to look for when […]
CPA Weeks 6 and 7: Investigations, Simulations, and Firearms Safety
During week 6 of the La Crosse Police Department Citizens’ Police Academy, participants had the opportunity to learn all about the Investigative Services Bureau and some of the techniques used during investigations. Detective Sergeant Mike Blokhuis and Investigator Tony DeLap walked the class through a few cases they’d worked in the past, pointing out techniques […]
Bicycle Safety Campaign with Dairy Queen
The La Crosse Police Department will once again partner with Dairy Queen (Fourteen Foods) to promote a safety initiative happening throughout our city called the “You’ve Been Caught Wearing Your Helmet” campaign. La Crosse Police Officers will be handing out coupons for a free DQ treat (small cone) whenever they observe children wearing helmets while riding their […]
CPA Weeks 4 and 5: DAAT, SFSTs, and Drug Investigations
The Week 4 Citizens’ Police Academy class focused on Defense and Arrest Tactics (DAAT). After a brief presentation from Lt. Troy Nedegaard on the legalities of making contact with, arresting, or using force on a combative subject, the class moved onto learning and practicing DAAT. Lt. Nedegaard, Sergeant Jason Mahairas and Officer Jeremy Rindfleisch demonstrated each […]
LCPD Arranges for Department-Wide Training
The La Crosse Police Department is pleased to announce a department-wide training which will occur this Friday morning, March 27th. Vanessa Roberts, a Nationally known presenter and self-titled “artivist” (artist, activist, and academic), will be providing all LCPD members with the training titled, Decoding Difference – Moving From Intent to Impact. Earlier this year, the […]
CPA Week 2: Squads, Speed Detection, and ERT
This week’s Citizens’ Police Academy covered quite a few topics. First, participants learned what it takes to become a Police Officer with the La Crosse Police Department. Lt. Troy Nedegaard walked everyone through the education and physical fitness requirements, the recruitment and application process, and the 14-week field training program that new LCPD Officers experience. After this, participants were […]
CPA Week 1: Introductions
The La Crosse Police Department 2015 Citizens’ Police Academy (CPA) officially began on Tuesday, March 10th! After a welcome from Chief Ron Tischer, Lt. Troy Nedegaard, the Director of Training for the Police Department and Administrator of the Citizens’ Police Academy, lead the twenty-two participants through the 10-week schedule. They learned that they will be experiencing many exciting things, including: […]



